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.
Radio Canada International – Que faire maintenant avec le programme canadien de travailleurs étrangers?
Le ministre canadien responsable fait flotter quelques ballons d’essai. Le gouvernement conservateur de Stephen Harper veut réformer son programme très controversé de travailleurs étrangers qu’il a du suspendre le mois dernier à la suite d’un scandale impliquant des restaurants McDonald’s. Le problème c’est que le ministre du Travail, Jasson Kenney, ne semble pas avoir encore arrêté une décision sur la future marche à suivre. Hier, dans la capitale canadienne, le ministre a rencontré à une même table plusieurs employeurs importants du pays pour lancer certaines hypothèses. Selon le réseau anglais de Radio-Canada, le ministre Jason Kenny aimerait notamment forcer les employeurs à offrir des salaires plus élevés aux travailleurs étrangers qu’aux travailleurs canadiens. Ils voudrait aussi lier l’embauche des travailleurs étrangers au taux de chômage respectif de chacune des 10 provinces canadiennes.
Acadie Nouvelle – Succès du programme de mentorat pour les entrepreneurs immigrants
Le programme de mentorat pour entrepreneurs immigrants de la région Chaleur connaît beaucoup de succès depuis sa mise sur pied il y a deux ans et demi. Depuis son lancement à l’automne 2011, 47 personnes y ont pris part. Ils étaient originaires de la France, la Russie, la Suisse, les Philippines, la Chine, l’Éthiopie, la Colombie, le Vietnam, pour ne citer que quelques pays. Le taux de succès des participants au programme qui sont restés dans la région Chaleur s’élève à 90 %. «Près de 60 % ont démarré leur entreprise et 90 % des participants sont encore dans notre région. Nous prenons aussi les étudiants et nous ne nous attendons pas à ce qu’ils soient en affaires tout de suite», a mentionné Kim Chamberlain, la coordinatrice du programme. Cette initiative, dont la sixième cohorte va débuter sous peu, a pour but d’offrir aux nouveaux entrepreneurs immigrants de la formation en gestion d’entreprise, une occasion de constituer des réseaux et la possibilité d’obtenir des conseils d’un mentor qui leur est jumelé pour le développement de leurs affaires.
Toronto Star – Refugee Kids’ Hospital Admissions Doubled After Ottawa’s Health Cuts
Admission rates for refugee children at Sick Kids Hospital doubled after Ottawa cut its health care coverage for asylum seekers, a new study finds. Before the cuts were made, in June 2012, only 6.4 per cent of refugee patients appearing in the emergency room of the Hospital for Sick Children actually had to be admitted. Six months later, that rate had jumped to 12 per cent, said the study published in the May issue of the Public Library of Science Journal. Researchers said the finding suggests that parents who couldn’t access government health care had delayed seeking medical help until the children became really ill. “If they don’t have health insurance, they present themselves later to the doctors. By then, the kids are sicker,” said Dr. Alexander Caudarella, a family doctor and co-author of the study, titled “The Cost and Impact of the Interim Federal Health Program Cuts on Child Refugees in Canada.”
Toronto Star – Immigrants More Likely to Fail Citizenship Test the Longer They’re Here
The longer an immigrant is in Canada, the more likely they are to fail their citizenship test, a government report says. According to the internal Immigration Department report, applicants who have been in Canada fewer than five years consistently have the highest success rates on the mandatory knowledge test, compared to counterparts who have been here much longer. The findings fly in the face of the Conservative government, which in February tabled a series of sweeping citizenship changes, including raising the required length of residency to four out of six years from the current three out of four. […] Based on two immigration databases, the report, marked “confidential,” said the pass rates of the citizenship exam dropped significantly from 83 per cent in 2011 to 72.6 per cent in 2012, after the government introduced new test questions and raised the pass mark from 60 per cent to 75 per cent.
Globe and Mail – Clark Apologizes for B.C.’s Historical Wrongs Against Chinese Immigrants
Premier Christy Clark formally apologized for more than 100 racist laws, regulations and policies imposed starting over 140 years ago against Chinese immigrants, calling them a stain on the province’s history. […] “We believe this formal apology is required to ensure that closure can be reached on this dark period in our province’s history,” she said Thursday. “The legislative assembly’s apology today signifies our deepest regret for the hardship and suffering our past provincial governments imposed on Chinese Canadians.” […] The Chinese Canadian National Council, which monitors racism against Chinese-Canadians, said it could not accept B.C.’s apology without some form of redress for people and families who paid the head tax. The council said the federal government collected a total of $23 million from the head tax levies, of which about $8.5 million was transferred back to B.C., which converts to about $1 billion today. “What we’re looking for is a symbolic return of these funds back to the head-tax families who paid it,” said CCCN spokesman Victor Wong.
CBC – Jason Kenney Set to Introduce New Temporary Foreign Worker Rules
Employment Minister Jason Kenney is set to bring in at least two new rules for businesses that want to hire temporary foreign workers, including the requirement to pay those workers more, CBC News has learned. Kenney will also tie the number of temporary foreign workers a company is allowed to the unemployment rate. The goal is to raise the cost of hiring temporary foreign workers and to make it harder to hire them in regions with higher unemployment. But the head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says he’s afraid Kenney’s moves will gut the program. […] Employers and labour groups met with Kenney on Thursday and say Kenney didn’t tell them that he is committed to the new measures. […] Labour groups, on the other hand, are more supportive of the wage measure, hoping businesses will hire Canadians instead of temporary foreign workers.
