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.
South China Morning Post – “Immigration Prison” Sentence for Would-Be Canadians is About to Get Longer
There’s a common term in the Chinese immigrant community for the period of residency required before applying for Canadian citizenship. “Yiminjian”, or “immigration prison” conveys both sentiment and meaning that might surprise non-Chinese Canadians who tend to see residency here as a privilege coveted by those unlucky enough to have been born anywhere other than the Great White North. Instead, for many Chinese immigrants, the mandatory three years of yiminjian is not something to be enjoyed as the start of a new life in Canada. It’s something to be endured. […] Canada’s conservative government said on Monday it plans to introduce a new Citizenship Act in the current session of parliament, which began this week. Details have not been unveiled, but Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said he wanted to extend the current residency requirement, that immigrants must have lived in Canada for three out of the four years prior to an application for citizenship.
Times Colonist – Temporary Foreign Workers Eyed for Natural Gas Jobs
The provincial government is looking at putting temporary foreign workers into the natural gas industry to fulfil immediate labour needs. “We are in ongoing discussions with the federal government to make sure we have an immigration system that matches labour market needs,” said Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. Her ministry later confirmed that these discussions would include the idea of temporary foreign workers to fill immediate LNG labour needs.
Macleans – Cogeco CEO Louis Audet Says Quebec’s Proposed Values Charter Harmful to Economy
The head of cable and media company Cogeco Inc. has stepped into Quebec’s political debate about a charter to promote secular values, saying it’s scaring off immigrants. Cogeco chief executive Louis Audet said Quebec’s proposed charter of values, which would restrict the wearing of religious symbols by public sector employees, will harm the province’s economy. “At this time, the charter is causing fear among immigrants,” Audet said after a speech in which he criticized the proposed charter of values. […] “This message isn’t of a nature to attract immigrants, which we depend on for our economic growth.” “Not only will it discourage them, it may incite some who are already here to leave,” he added. […] But Premier Pauline Marois has said the charter doesn’t worry foreign investors who might be interested in setting up shop in Quebec and recently announced in London that two companies would be heading to Montreal to do business.
The Record – Former Admirers Lose Faith in Alexander
There was a brief surge of optimism among humanitarian groups when Chris Alexander was named minister of citizenship and immigration six months ago. The Ajax MP spent 18 years as a diplomat, served as Canada’s first resident ambassador in Afghanistan and went on to become a special representative of the United Nations assistance mission in Afghanistan. […] The last thread snapped a week ago when Alexander lambasted Ontario for its “scandalous” decision to provide medical care to “bogus” asylum seekers. […] Alexander ratcheted up his rhetoric the following day in a testy interview with CBC Radio host Matt Galloway. “We won’t have our policy made by doctors, ” he declared. […] Speaking directly to listeners, he asked: “Do you really want your tax dollars to be spent on bogus, rejected refugee claimants?” (Before answering, consider this: the refugee health program cost $84.6 million when the Tories killed it. That is five one-hundredths of one per cent of public health spending in Canada.)
Radio Canada International – Charte des valeurs : polémique autour de la laïcité de l’État
L’organisme « Pour les droits des femmes du Québec » s’inquiète qu’une femme d’origine maghrébine et musulmane soit menacée pour son appui au projet de charte des valeurs du gouvernement québécois. Selon Michèle Sirois, présidente de PDF-Québec, c’est ce genre d’intimidation lié à l’intégrisme religieux que son groupe rejette. PDF-Québec appuie la laïcité telle que proposée par le projet de loi 60 du gouvernement péquiste de la première ministre du Québec Pauline Marois. Hier, le groupe « Indépendantistes pour une laïcité inclusive » a fait une sortie contre le projet de charte du gouvernement en affirmant qu’il s’agissait d’une chasse aux sorcières, puisque le projet de loi veut lutter contre un ennemi en grande partie fabriqué.
National Post – Immigrant Couple Loses Appeal to Regain Medicare Coverage Revoked for Spending Too Much Time Outside Canada
B.C., like most provinces, requires that patients spend at least six months annually in the jurisdiction to benefit from medicare, and alleged Sayed Geissah and Souad Khalaf had lived most of the past several years in the Middle East. The pair had argued that the Canadian citizenship they obtained gave them the right to reside wherever they wanted, and that B.C.’s medicare agency could not force them to live in Canada when it was too expensive for them to do so. The Court of Appeal said in a judgment this month that the province had acted legally when it retroactively stripped them of coverage for a nine-year period. It may be the first time the courts have ruled on medicare residency laws, and has potentially broad ramifications given that millions of Canadians live in other countries, said Sergio Karas, a Toronto immigration lawyer.
