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.
Metro News – Immigration in Canada: Come One, Come All?
In 2012 alone, more than 257,000 people were granted permanent resident status, and many of them aim to be citizens one day. But this year, things could be changing. If the federal government secures its planned changes to the Citizenship Act, it’s going to become more difficult to become Canadian, and that’s got some people worried. “You’re either in the boat or you’re not in the boat,” said David Cohen of Toronto law firm Campbell Cohen, which operates the website Canadavisa.com. […] Cohen said it’s undeniable that the new legislation is needed. In recent years, the success of an immigration case could depend on which judge heard it, so there’s a need to make the rules more clear, he said. But the bill is carrying concerns, he added, like the idea of revoking citizenship from people convicted of serious crimes like terrorism. Cohen said such issues should be heard by the courts, to ensure fairness and transparency.
Winnipeg Free Press – Changes Too Restrictive: Immigration Advocates
Canada’s doors are closing to newcomers, a pro-immigration group laments. The Immigration Matters in Canada Coalition says it is more difficult than ever to immigrate to Canada, claim refugee status or become a citizen. […] Changes implemented in December 2012 by the federal government in the Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act (Bill C-31) are resulting in fewer immigrants and refugees gaining entry to Canada, more restrictions on bringing over family members and increased standards to meet language requirements, the coalition said. […] Bashir Khan, a Winnipeg lawyer who practises immigration and refugee law, said the numbers show how stringent the requirements to gain refugee status have become. “By the end of 2012, and Bill C-31 came into force in December 2012, there were 20,400 or so refugee claims filed in Canada, in the whole country. By the end of 2013… there was only 10,000… refugee claims filed in all of Canada. So that’s a 50 per cent reduction in people making refugee claims or for asylum in Canada.”
OHS Canada – Ontario Continues to Appeal Healthcare Extensions
The Divisional Court, a branch of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, held a hearing on March 25, pertaining to the recent decision by the Health Services Appeal and Review Board (HSARB) to allow Ontario migrant workers to have their healthcare benefits extended in extraordinary cases. The Ontario government has continued to appeal this decision. The appeal stems from the case of two Jamaican migrant workers, Denville Clarke and Kenroy Williams, who were seriously injured in a van accident in August 2012. […] One of the government’s arguments has been that the workers were not entitled to extended coverage because they didn’t have valid work permits. But they were working under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, and IAVGO has countered that immigration status doesn’t matter in such government programs.
Foreign Worker Permit Pulled at Labrador City Restaurants
Ottawa has suspended two Labrador City restaurants from the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, concluding there are “reasonable grounds” to suspect that the employer “provided false, misleading or inaccurate information” to get a positive ruling.
La Presse – Deux tiers des immigrés expulsés le sont pour des délits mineurs
Les expulsions d’immigrés ont augmenté sous la présidence Obama, et contrairement à ses affirmations la plupart de ces immigrés avaient commis des infractions mineures, a rapporté lundi le New York Times. Selon le quotidien, seulement 20% des près de 2 millions de personnes expulsées depuis l’arrivée de Barack Obama à la Maison-Blanche en 2009 avaient été condamnées pour des faits graves, notamment pour trafic de drogue. Les deux tiers «impliquaient des personnes ayant commis des infractions mineures, dont des infractions au code de la route, ou n’avaient aucun antécédent criminel», ajoute le quotidien. Celui-ci a analysé plus de 3,2 millions d’expulsions en 10 ans, des documents obtenus en vertu de la loi sur la liberté d’informer, ce qui lui a permis de comparer le deuxième mandat de George W. Bush aux cinq premières années Obama.
Radio-Canada – Permis d’embauche à l’étranger suspendu au Labrador
Le gouvernement fédéral suspend le droit d’embaucher des travailleurs étrangers à une entreprise du Labrador pour avoir enfreint les règles du Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires. Cette entreprise, identifiée par le numéro 59077, est propriétaire de restaurants Jungle Jim’s, Pizza Greco et Captain Sub dans l’ouest de la province. L’avis relatif au marché du travail (ATM) a été suspendu parce qu’Ottawa soupçonne l’employeur d’avoir fourni des informations fausses ou trompeuses. Selon des travailleurs étrangers venus à Labrador City, l’employeur aurait logé jusqu’à 26 travailleurs dans une seule maison pendant quelques mois, ce qui allait à l’encontre de l’entente de l’employeur avec le gouvernement fédéral. Selon un travailleur, Ray Vailoces, leur employeur avait promis qu’il n’y aurait pas plus de deux personnes par chambre, alors qu’il y en avait parfois jusqu’à six.
