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.
Edmonton Journal – Union Taps Foreign Workers the Right Way
Some businesses have complained about the tougher rules in force since the start of the year governing the federal temporary foreign workers program. They need to give their heads a shake. […] My own organization, the boilermakers union, has faced two short periods every year for the past few years where our industry has been critically short of the specialized workers who are members of our union. […] So we embrace the program, but with caveats. First — and this has been reflected in the tighter regulations — the temporary workers are paid exactly the same as our own members, including benefit accounts that give them equivalent pension and health-care coverage. […] Second — and this is also reflected in the new rules — we’ve never charged commissions on the work we find for our temporary foreign workers, nor do we charge them for their transportation and accommodation.
La Presse – Les Suisses rejettent l’«immigration de masse»
Les électeurs suisses ont dit «oui» dimanche, à une courte majorité de 50,3%, à une limitation de l’immigration, ce qui risque d’envenimer les relations avec l’Union européenne. Le référendum, intitulé «contre l’immigration de masse», a été organisé à l’initiative du parti UDC (droite populiste), excédé par la forte hausse du nombre des immigrés ces dernières années. Les conséquences de ce vote, qui marque un coup d’arrêt à la politique de libre-circulation des personnes entre l’UE et la Suisse, sont toutefois encore difficiles à évaluer.
Almost 2,000 would-be French immigrants lined up in Paris last November at the 10th edition of Destination Canada, a job fair organized by the Canadian embassy. More than 19,000 people applied, but only a few thousand could get in. The event is so popular that only those invited are given the address to prevent any spontaneous candidates from showing up at the door. […] Francophone immigration to francophone communities outside Quebec is steadily increasing, says Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). More than 3,000 of them arrived in 2012, a four per cent increase over 2011. This new wave of migration across the Atlantic is good news for francophone communities in Western Canada which have come to rely on a steady stream of immigrants to keep their demographic base and their French-language health, education and media services running.
Globe and Mail – Iron Workers will be Rehired as Ottawa Promises Review
The dozens of iron workers who were laid off and subsequently alleged they were replaced by temporary foreign workers at an oil sands project in Alberta this week will be rehired, according to the company involved in the controversy. Roughly 65 iron workers were let go from their construction jobs at the Kearl oil sands mine near Fort McMurray Tuesday. These Ironworkers Local 720 union members allege they were replaced by temporary foreign workers and, in response, turned to the government to investigate and made public complaints Thursday. Ottawa immediately pledged to examine whether the company that laid them off was in compliance with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Companies cannot hire temporary foreign workers if qualified Canadians want the jobs. The TFWP is designed to fulfill labour shortages, and cannot be used to drive down costs by hiring cheaper employees from abroad.
Leader-Post – Croatia, Czech Republic New Targets for Saskatchewan Recruiters
Linda West figures she might have found a new frontier in skilled labour recruiting: Croatia and the Czech Republic. The president of the Regina-based Actyl Group human resources firm likes the two central European republics for a lot of reasons. First, the two members of the European Union are “visa-free” countries in the eyes of Canadian immigration authorities. That means candidates can get work permits at the Canadian border or an international airport without having to wait for embassy approval. That makes immigration easier and gets them to employers faster – particularly important to Saskatchewan employers who’d like to have new employees start this spring. As well, West – a veteran of many recruiting trips – said knowledge of English is high and educational standards are good among young Czechs and Croatians. And then there’s the best motivator: They have tepid economies with youth unemployment running between 40 and 45 per cent in the Czech Republic and even higher in Croatia.
Toronto Star – Deportation of Mothers Fails to Consider Best Interests of Children
It’s a heart-wrenching choice that no mother should have to make. Do you leave your children behind to have a chance at a better life in Canada or take them with you to a place that is completely foreign to them and where their lives may be at risk? Two recent cases illustrate how Canada’s immigration and refugee determination system is failing to protect parents from making that unfair decision and to fulfil its legal responsibility to pursue the best interests of the children involved. […] Canada’s immigration and refugee system must ensure, according to international law, that the interests of children are taken into account at all times. However, the Canadian Council for Refugees has found that immigration decision-making, including deportation decisions, continues to be conducted without appropriate consideration of the best interests of the children.
