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.
Washington Post – NY Senate Rejects Immigrant Student “DREAM Act”
The New York Senate rejected a bill Monday that would open up state tuition assistance to students in the country illegally, dashing long-held hopes of immigration advocates and prompting finger-pointing among rival Democrats. […] No Republicans voted for the measure, though all five of their coalition partners in the Independent Democratic Conference voted for it. All but one of the mainline Democrats in the minority voted for the measure. The proposal includes a budget appropriation of $25 million to open up Tuition Assistance Program money for students who are in the country illegally but attend public or private colleges, paying up to $5,000 a year for undergraduates at four-year institutions. Exactly how many would be eligible for the need-based assistance is unclear, but according to a report issued by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, 8,300 such students in the CUNY and SUNY systems would qualify.
Hinton Parklander – Temporary Foreign Worker Program Needs Changes: Merrifield
Canada’s temporary foreign worker program has been abused in the Yellowhead region by both employers and employees, says the riding’s member of Parliament. Rob Merrifield, MP for the Yellowhead, was in Hinton March 11 for a town hall meeting at the Holiday Inn on Gregg Avenue. […] He pointed out the “acute” labour shortage in Hinton and the use — and abuse — of the temporary foreign worker program. While not naming any specifics, he said the federal government is planning to implement some much-needed improvements. […] Employment Minister Jason Kenney has said the new changes will speed up the LMO application process. But employers will be required to pay the same wages as they would to Canadians and prove they’re not using the program to outsource jobs.
Radio-Canada – Le fossé entre les immigrants et les électeurs nés au Canada
Les immigrants et les électeurs nés au Canada qui ont répondu aux questions de la Boussole électorale ne voient pas les enjeux électoraux de la même façon. À partir d’un échantillonnage de 106 220 utilisateurs, nous vous montrons certaines différences entre ces deux groupes sociodémographiques. Selon le comité scientifique de la Boussole électorale, « sans surprise, les immigrants sont moins portés à vouloir limiter les accommodements religieux et à appuyer l’indépendance du Québec ». Les immigrants et les électeurs nés au Canada n’ont pas la même vision de la laïcité. À la question « Combien d’efforts devrait-on faire pour accommoder les minorités religieuses au Québec? », la Boussole électorale indique qu’à peine 30 % des immigrants souhaitent plus d’efforts pour accommoder les minorités religieuses. Ce chiffre baisse à 10 % chez les utilisateurs nés au Canada.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada se rend en Chine
Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, se rendra à Hong Kong et à Shanghai cette semaine pour présenter les nombreuses possibilités qu’offre le Canada aux gens d’affaires, aux étudiants et aux touristes chinois. […] La visite du ministre Alexander lui permettra de promouvoir les efforts du gouvernement visant à établir un système d’immigration rapide et souple, qui permettra principalement de satisfaire aux besoins économiques et du marché du travail du Canada. Le ministre Alexander discutera également des voies actuelles et futures vers la résidence permanente offertes aux gens d’affaires, aux familles et aux étudiants qui désirent s’établir, étudier ou faire des affaires au Canada.
Irish Central – Irish Grab up All 3,850 Visas for Canada in Less than 10 Minutes
The first allocation of 3,850 working holiday visas for Canada were gone less than 10 minutes after they were released last week. The two-year International Experience Canada (IEC) visas allow Irish people aged 18-35 and their children to live in the country for up to two years. The application system for the program opened at 8pm Irish time on Thursday night. Canada and Ireland signed an agreement last week allocating a total of 10,700 IEC permits have been allocated for Irish people this year. Up from the 6,350 permits that were allowed last year. The demand was so high for the IEC visas in 2013 that it was decided to release the 7,700 working holiday visas available this year in two rounds.
Toronto Star – Iranians with Stolen Passports Tell Story of High-Stakes Migration
Here in Canada, a proud tradition of safe harbour is being systematically replaced with restrictive policies that push asylum seekers into making increasingly precarious choices. According to a 2013 report by the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, new restrictions passed in Ottawa have led to deadly consequences for asylum seekers attempting to enter Canada. One man lost both of his legs while trying to cross the border at a railway bridge; others have drowned in the Niagara River. Others end up breaking the law. Despite specific commitments from Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander to resettle Iranian refugees, the politically expedient 2012 closure of the Canadian immigration desk in Tehran and Iranian Embassy in Ottawa encourage desperate, illegal acts like those taken up by Nourmohammadi and Delavar. They are part of an alarming and overwhelming global trend: in the first six months of 2013 alone, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported 5.9 million new refugees forced to flee their homes in legal limbo. We are now on track to witness the highest levels of forced displacement on historical record.
