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.
Les affaires – Montréal: la crème des immigrants au chômage
Le Québec doit absolument faciliter l’intégration au travail des immigrants s’il veut maintenir une croissance économique, plaide l’économiste et stratège en chef de la Banque Nationale, Stéfane Marion. Invité à livrer ses prédictions pour 2015 devant le Cercle finance du Québec et l’Association des économistes québécois section capitale nationale, M. Marion s’est inquiété de la faiblesse de la croissance économique, avec un PIB nominal qu’il anticipe sous la barre des 2% cette année. Il croit davantage à l’immigration qu’à l’augmentation de la productivité pour stimuler l’économie de la province. «Dans un contexte de vieillissement, les immigrants compteront pour 80% de l’augmentation de la population québécoise au cours des prochaines années», dit-il. Plus que toutes les autres provinces, Montréal a la chance d’accueillir des immigrants éduqués, car 60% d’entre eux possèdent un diplôme universitaire. […] Le Québec perd au profit des autres provinces canadiennes de 20 à 25% des immigrants qu’il accueille chaque année parce que ceux-ci peinent à se faire embaucher ici.
CBC – U.S., Cuba Clash Over Migration Issues on 1st Day of Historic Talks
The United States and Cuba clashed over U.S. immigration policy on Wednesday at the first session of high-level talks seeking to restore diplomatic ties between the Cold War adversaries. The Americans vowed to continue granting safe haven to Cubans with special protections denied to other nationalities while Cuba complained the United States encourages Cuban doctors to defect, calling it a “reprehensible brain drain practice.” The talks will continue on Thursday with the two sides set to discuss restoring diplomatic relations and eventually opening up full trade and travel ties. The first day was dedicated to immigration, the 28th round of bilateral talks on the issue. […] Besides the 20,000 Cubans given visas each year, another 25,000 arrived from around the world without visas in 2014 and were welcomed to the United States under the U.S. law called the Cuban Adjustment Act.
CBC – Ottawa to Stop Paying Failed Refugee Claimants to Leave Canada
A controversial government program which tried to get failed refugee claimants out of the country faster by essentially paying them to leave won’t be renewed after a scathing internal evaluation. The assisted voluntary return and reintegration pilot program, or AVRR, was supposed to save time and money by getting low-risk failed claimants to leave on their own instead of having border agents enforce deportation orders. But an evaluation by Canada Border Services Agency found that’s not what happened. […] “Like many aspects of the refugee reform, the pilot program was designed based on a set of assumptions that could not be validated prior to launch, some of which proved not to be accurate,” the evaluation said. Among them: the idea that giving people money to help them resettle in their home countries would convince them to stop trying to appeal negative decisions.
Radio-Canada – Les États-Unis ouvrent le dialogue avec Cuba, mais restent prudents
Les États-Unis ont déployé des navires supplémentaires dans le détroit de Floride pour arrêter les bateaux de fortune de réfugiés cubains, mais ont refusé d’apporter des changements profonds à ses règles d’immigration, au premier jour des discussions entre Washington et Cuba, les premiers pourparlers officiels entre les deux pays en plus de trois décennies. Cuba a demandé aux États-Unis de cesser d’accorder automatiquement un droit de résidence aux Cubains arrivant en sol américain. Le gouvernement cubain blâme des pratiques datant « de la Guerre froide », qui attirent ses citoyens et les poussent à faire le périlleux voyage entre l’île et la Floride. Les autorités américaines ont signalé une hausse des tentatives de traversée du détroit depuis l’annonce de négociations visant à rétablir des liens diplomatiques entre les deux pays, le 17 décembre. Le nombre de bateaux en mer semble avoir diminué au cours des derniers jours. Le secrétaire à la Sécurité intérieure, Jeh Johnson, a annoncé que des vedettes de la Garde-Côtière seront déployées pour empêcher que des immigrants cubains et haïtiens arrivent aux États-Unis. Il a toutefois ajouté que les Cubains qui parviendront aux États-Unis ne seront pas déportés.
Moose Jaw Times Herald – Landlords Creating Barriers for Newcomers
A 44-year-old single refugee living in Moose Jaw was evicted from his home while he was in the hospital for an emergency procedure. […] He was homeless upon his release from the hospital and moved into a men’s shelter. When he finally found someone who would rent to him the apartment was so unfit that he willfully spent his nights back at the shelter. His story is common among immigrants and refugees living in Moose Jaw with many landlords making it hard for newcomers to settle in the city. According to the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council (MJMC), single mothers have been sexually harassed while others get verbally abused. Like the 44-year-old male, some get unlawfully evicted. Discrimination and racism are growing problems in Moose Jaw as more immigrants continue to settle within the community. For many, finding a place to rent is especially hard. “It’s an issue for every client we’ve had coming here. Just to find housing is a challenge for every single client” said Lauren Stennett, settlement worker for the MJMC.
In an effort to help ease the pain for hundreds of Syrians fleeing war, Quebec is planning to significantly increase the number of refugees it welcomes to the province this year. Called the worst humanitarian crisis in decades by the United Nations, almost 200,000 Syrians have died and an estimated 9 million people have been displaced due to a violent civil war. Currently, a dozen countries are accepting Syrian refugees. Among them is Canada – and Quebec is reaching out to help. […] Canada’s new commitment is 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years; Quebec will take in almost one quarter of those. Most refugees are assisted by religious groups, aid organizations, or family, who help them find a new home in the province. Quebec’s immigration ministry took a moment Tuesday to thank the numerous groups who have opened their arms to the crestfallen, calling them indispensable.
