an alliance of university, community, and government partners dedicated to fostering welcoming communities and promoting the integration of immigrants and minorities across Canada
The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
Toronto Sun – Labour Group Says Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a Safety Risk
The Alberta Federation of Labour says a program that fast-tracked guest workers in the province’s oilsands is endangering the safety of all workers. On Monday, CBC reported Canadian tradesmen from the Husky Sunrise project expressed concerns about “safety hazards and near misses, which they blame on the use of foreign workers who aren’t qualified and can’t speak English.” The workers were reportedly hired through the Alberta Pilot for Occupation-Specific Work Permits, a special fast-track stream of the temporary foreign worker program. […] The AFL estimates that only 24% of guest workers hired under the Occupation-Specific fast track are fully qualified as tradespeople, and that an estimated 2,000 workers brought in through the pilot are still at Alberta worksites. […] A spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the matter falls under provincial jurisdiction.
CBC – Some International Students Upset by U of O Tuition Discount
Some international students at the University of Ottawa say it isn’t fair that they have to pay more tuition fees than their French-speaking counterparts from abroad. The discount for international students wishing to take classes in French starts for the first time this 2014-15 academic year. New international students who are eligible are paying the same amount as Canadian students, which amounts to about a savings of about $15,000 per year. The discount has attracted three times as many French-speaking international students to the school this year than last year. Ninety-seven students enrolled in 2013, compared to 316 students enrolled so far this year. Most of the students come from countries across Africa, including Morocco, Cameroon, Benin, Guinea and Senegal. Some students said the discount is unfair. […] The university announced the discount in 2013, and said it’s part of the university’s efforts to promote French on the world stage.
La Presse – La politique sur les réfugiés risque de séparer les familles
Pendant un mois, Sheila Sedinger s’est réveillée chaque matin remplie d’inquiétude à l’idée d’être déportée au Mexique sans ses deux fillettes. Mais la jeune femme, qui est arrivée au Canada en 2005, a obtenu cette semaine un sursis de la Cour fédérale, qui l’a autorisée à rester à Montréal pendant au moins deux ans avec ses filles âgées de six et huit ans, le temps notamment d’achever les procédures avec son ex-mari sur la garde des enfants. Mais d’autres familles n’ont pas eu autant de chance. Des militants et des experts juridiques affirment que les politiques du Canada sur les réfugiés menacent de briser des familles et ne tiennent souvent pas compte de l’intérêt des enfants concernés. «Nous nous retrouvons souvent dans des situations où des familles sont brisées, affirme Sharry Aiken, professeure de droit à l’université Queen’s de Kingston, en Ontario. Dans l’ordre des choses, ce ne sont pas des gens qui devraient inquiéter outre mesure les agents de l’immigration canadienne.» http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/201408/31/01-4796041-la-politique-sur-les-refugies-risque-de-separer-les-familles.php
Huffington Post – Canada’s Refugee Policy Risks Tearing Parents from their Children, Activists Say
Activists and legal experts say Canada’s refugee policy regularly threatens to break up families and often fails to take into consideration the interests of the children involved. “We’re very often in the business of tearing families apart,” said Sharry Aiken, a law professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. “In the scheme of things, these are not the people that Canadian public immigration officials should be worried about deporting.” It’s unclear exactly how often such cases come up. The Canadian Border Services Agency doesn’t track the number of instances where an individual is deported while their Canadian-born children stays behind, said Esme Bailey, a spokeswoman for the agency. She added those facing removal have a number of options available for their Canadian-born children, including “finding a suitable guardian for their children in Canada, or, if there is no one who could assume guardianship, advising them to contact the provincial child protection authorities.” […] The Montreal-based activist group Solidarity without Borders contends several recent claims in the city involving families suggest a worrying trend.
Toronto Star – Ontario Says “No” to Removing Citizenship by Birth on Soil
The Ontario government says it will not support Ottawa’s proposal to remove citizenship rights to children born in Canada to non-citizens and non-residents. “In our view, there is not enough evidence to justify the effort and expense required for such a system-wide program change. Citizenship and immigration Canada has not quantified the extent of fraud resulting from ‘birth tourism,’’ said Ontario Deputy Immigration Minister Chisanga Puta-Chekwe. “At this time, there is insufficient data to demonstrate the demand placed on Ontario’s economy or public services from ‘birth tourists,’” he wrote in a letter to Ottawa, dated September 6, 2012, after a technical briefing on the plan. A copy of the province’s response was obtained by the Star this week. On Friday, a spokesperson for Ontario Immigration Minister Michael Chan said the province has not changed its position. […] The Ontario government said such changes would pose financial and administrative burden on the province and clients, especially the “vulnerable segments of the population.”
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – Le gouvernement du Canada souligne l’importance du pluralisme pacifique
Tim Uppal, ministre d’État au Multiculturalisme, s’est adressé aujourd’hui aux participants de la Convention internationale Jalsa Salana 2014, en soulignant le leadership du Canada en matière de droits de la personne et l’importance de l’acceptation et de l’intégration religieuses, tant au Canada qu’à l’étranger. Le ministre Uppal est à Londres avec la délégation canadienne à la convention Jalsa Salana 2014 au Royaume-Uni, une rencontre annuelle officielle de la communauté musulmane Ahmadiyya. La convention cherche à favoriser une plus grande prise de conscience spirituelle entre les membres de la communauté, de renforcer les liens entre eux et de promouvoir la paix. L’activité comprend des discours religieux et des rencontres interconfessionnelles. S’adressant aux participants, le ministre Uppal a souligné l’approche internationalement respectée du Canada en matière de multiculturalisme et de liberté religieuse, en soulignant l’importance que le Canada accorde à accepter toutes les cultures en encouragent leur adhésion aux traditions et aux valeurs canadiennes.
