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 – Travailleurs étrangers : Ottawa sévit contre cinq restaurants
Le gouvernement fédéral sévit contre le recours abusif au Programme de travailleurs étrangers temporaires. Ottawa a rejeté les demandes de permis temporaires pour un restaurant en Ontario et a suspendu les permis délivrés pour un autre établissement au Labrador, à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador, et pour des franchises du restaurant McDonald’s à Victoria, en Colombie-Britannique. Le ministère de l’Emploi et du Développement social a mené une enquête à la suite du témoignage d’un employé qui a alerté l’émission Go Public de CBC au sujet de pratiques défavorables aux travailleurs canadiens. Ces mesures surviennent un peu plus de trois mois après que le gouvernement canadien eut resserré les règles du Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires (PTET). En vertu de ces changements, les autorités peuvent enquêter sur une période de six ans à partir de la date d’embauche d’un employé étranger.
Huffington Post – Jeb Bush: Illegal Immigration Often “An Act of Love”
Jeb Bush, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, said on Sunday that illegal immigrants who come to the United States to provide for their families are not committing a felony but an “act of love.” […] A comprehensive immigration reform bill passed the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate in June 2013 but has stalled in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Republican lawmakers have cited deep divisions in the party over the issue, including granting legal status to 11 million undocumented immigrants. A Republican Party review after the last presidential election had urged the party to embrace immigration reform to attract more Hispanic support. Democratic President Barack Obama, who was re-elected in 2012, won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote to Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s 27 percent.
CBC – McDonald’s Accused of Favouring Foreign Workers
McDonald’s is under federal investigation over possible abuses of the Temporary Foreign Worker program at a franchise outlet in B.C. […] As a result of Go Public’s inquiries, the government has suspended all pending foreign worker permits for the three McDonald’s locations owned by franchisee Glen Bishop and has blacklisted his franchise from using the program, pending the outcome of the probe. […] Interestingly, records show in this case several of the Filipino workers are paid 20 per cent more than most of the Canadian staff. […] McDonald’s said that’s because some are brought in under a higher job classification — food service supervisor — which at that franchise pays $12.36 an hour. Many of the local workers are food counter attendants, who earn $10.25 per hour.
Radio-Canada – Une première famille de Tibétains réunie à Ottawa
La première famille de Tibétains a été réunie à Ottawa, samedi, dans le cadre du programme de réunification des familles appuyé par le gouvernement canadien. Chime Palden a enfin retrouvé sa femme et ses trois enfants, qu’il n’avait pas vus depuis plus de quatre mois. « Je suis très heureux », a-t-il dit. Selon la coprésidente du projet de réinstallation des Tibétains à Ottawa, Karen Davidson, le gouvernement fédéral va donner un visa de résidents permanents aux arrivants, mais les organismes locaux doivent payer les coûts de leur première année de vie au Canada, ce qui inclut leur logement, leur transport et tous les autres coûts d’installation.
Al Jazeera America – Protestors Rally Across U.S. for Immigration Reform
Thousands of undocumented immigrants and their supporters rallied across the United States on Saturday as part of a national day of action called “Two Million Too Many” – activists’ latest effort to urge President Barack Obama to use his executive powers to scale back deportations. Protesters gathered outside government offices and detention facilities where undocumented immigrants are transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. Organizers said the campaign was prompted by the Obama administration’s record deportations, which are anticipated to hit the milestone of 2 million removals since he took office. Halting deportations is necessary, advocates say, because many of those in detention could one day benefit from eventual reform. […] While Obama has largely blamed Republicans for the deadlock in immigration reform, advocates insist that he can use his executive authority to halt deportations.
Brantford Expositor – Photovoice Exhibition Features Work of Immigrant Women
Scores of professors, students, artists and political dignitaries gathered Friday in front of The Yellow Brick Wall in Laurier Brantford’s 97 Dalhousie Street building for the launch of an unusual exhibit at the intersection of art and academic analysis. Titled, Do You See What I See? A Photovoice Exhibit, a collection of photographic images with sparse commentary under each image is a major aspect of a thesis by Bharati Sethi, a PhD candidate in Laurier Brantford’s faculty of Social Work and a part-time instructor in the program. The exhibit showcases the findings of a four-year community-based participatory study by Sethi in which 17 immigrant women were given cameras to record their employment and health experiences, and three other women were interviewed. The findings are based on 525 participant-generated photographs, diaries and in-depth interviews. […] Sethi’s thesis answers the research question: How do employment circumstances impact the health and well-being of immigrant/refugee KAAJAL (Korea, Asia, Africa, Japan, Arab and Latin America) women in Grand Erie?
