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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.
Bangkok Post – US Ends Myanmar Refugee Programs
The United States has wound up a special resettlement programme for Myanmar refugees in camps on the Thai-Myanmar border, the United Nations said Wednesday. The last candidates for the US “group resettlement programme” were accepted on Jan 24, marking the end of the 9-year scheme. The US initiated it in 2005 to ”accept as many Myanmar refugees as possible under simplified procedures”, said Vivian Tan, information officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Bangkok. ”Since 2005, the United States has welcomed more than 73,000 Burmese who have resettled in towns and cities across the United States,” said assistant secretary Anne Richard of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. There are still an estimated 120,000 Myanmar refugees in the nine camps in Thailand, including about 40,000 who were not registered by the Thai authorities. […] Another 19,000 Myanmar refugees from the Thai camps have been resettled in other countries including Australia, Canada, Finland and Japan in the last nine years, UNHCR said.
Digital Journal – Legion Supports Granting Citizenship to “Lost Canadians”
The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion President, Gordon Moore, is encouraged by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s statement that changes to the Citizenship Act are forthcoming. In particular, complicated circumstances that have barred War Brides and children of War Brides from obtaining Canadian citizenship will be fixed under new legislation. […] The Second World War saw many immigrants living in Canada, who had not yet obtained Canadian citizenship, fighting on behalf of our country. When they returned to Canada they were not granted citizenship as they had not qualified under existing rules.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – Providing More Options for Citizenship Applicants From Ontario
As of January 30, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will accept certificates from individuals who complete Ontario’s provincial language training program as proof of language ability for the purpose of applying for citizenship, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced today. The acceptance of this language training program will facilitate access to citizenship for Ontario applicants. Applicants for citizenship must provide evidence of language ability from CIC’s list of acceptable evidence, which includes results from third party tests, academic certificates, and certificates from government-funded language training programs.
CBC – Skilled Immigrants to be Matched with Jobs in 2015
The federal government is looking to match skilled immigrants with unfilled jobs, in what it’s calling a new “fast and flexible system of economic immigration” it intends to have in place in January 2015. […] Alexander is currently working to build an “expression of interest” system to manage applications for immigration to Canada.” […] By next year, Canada will no longer be obligated to process all applications in the order they were received. […] Under the proposed system, employers would play a key role in searching the pool for prospective candidates, conducting interviews and identifying candidates. Only once a match has been identified would the skilled immigrant be invited to apply for permanent residence.
La Presse – Les républicains envisagent leur réforme de l’immigration
Les républicains de la Chambre des représentants américaine, longtemps réticents sur le sujet de l’immigration, ouvriront jeudi un débat interne sur les principes d’une réforme qui pourrait conduire à des régularisations massives, a annoncé le président de la Chambre mardi. Les républicains de la Chambre des représentants américaine, longtemps réticents sur le sujet de l’immigration, ouvriront jeudi un débat interne sur les principes d’une réforme qui pourrait conduire à des régularisations massives, a annoncé le président de la Chambre mardi.
Radio Canada – Les services frontaliers peu loquaces sur la mort en détention d’une femme
L’Agence des services frontaliers du Canada (ASFC) donne peu de détails sur la mort en détention d’une femme de 42 ans, le mois dernier. L’ASFC confirme qu’une femme détenue pour une courte durée a été transférée dans un centre de détention de l’immigration le 19 décembre dernier, à l’aéroport international de Vancouver. Le lendemain matin, des premiers répondants sont intervenus au centre après avoir appris que la quarantenaire était en détresse. Elle a été hospitalisée et est morte huit jours plus tard.
