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.
Radio-Canada – Soins aux réfugiés : Ottawa et l’Ontario à couteaux tirés
Le gouvernement ontarien et le ministre fédéral de l’immigration se font une guerre de mots au sujet des soins de santé pour les demandeurs du statut de réfugiés. Chris Alexander qualifie d’irresponsable la décision de l’Ontario d’offrir des soins de santé gratuits aux demandeurs de statut de réfugiés, mais la province réplique qu’il serait plutôt irresponsable de refuser ces soins, comme le souhaite Ottawa. Il y a un an et demi, le gouvernement fédéral a cessé d’offrir des soins de santé aux demandeurs d’asile. Le ministre canadien de l’Immigration, Chris Alexander affirme qu’il y avait trop d’abus. « Des étrangers faisaient des demandes de statut de réfugiés simplement pour bénéficier des soins gratuits », soutient-il.
Toronto Star – Funeral Home Offers Free Service to Undocumented Man
On Friday, a Toronto funeral home stepped in and offered a free full service, including cremation – estimated at $7,500 – to the undocumented Brazilian man after learning in the Star that his three teenaged children couldn’t afford to give their father a proper farewell. The family had been turned down by a city-run program that covers funeral costs for low-income families because De Souza did not have legal status in Canada. Instead, city staff said they would dispose of his body, but only if the family gave up control.
CBC – Canadian Citizenship Rules Face Broad Reform in 2014
The federal government will introduce several changes to Canada’s citizenship rules after members of Parliament return to Ottawa next Monday following a six-week hiatus, says Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. In an interview with CBC News on Thursday, Alexander said the government will table a bill in the next session of Parliament that will see “the first comprehensive reform to the Citizenship Act in more than a generation.” While the rule changes will be significant, Alexander said the government won’t touch the issue of whether Canada ought to continue granting citizenship just because a person is born here — at least not right away. […] Under the proposed changes to the Citizenship Act, immigrants may have to wait longer before they qualify for Canadian citizenship, but once they apply the government hopes their applications will be processed more quickly.
National Post – Susan McClelland on Nannies from the Philippines: Suffer the Caregiver
Since the 1970s, the Philippines has pursued aggressive labour-export campaigns, more so than any other country. In 2012, according to the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration, nearly 1.5-million Filipinos left the country to work abroad. That figure, however, includes only those with documented work permits. Unofficially, the figure is likely double. […] If nannies in the LCP can demonstrate two years of full-time employment over the three-year period they’re in the LCP, they can apply for permanent residency. No other country offers Filipino caregivers the opportunity to emigrate. […] But the LCP comes at a heartbreakingly high price: separation from family. According to Diocson, as many as 90% of women in the LCP are mothers. Until they receive permanent residency, they can’t apply to bring along their husbands and children The process for permanent residency can take years.
CBC – It’s Chris Alexander Versus Deb Matthews on Ontario’s Refugee Health Care
Refugee health care is at the crossfire of a war of words between the federal citizenship and immigration minister and Ontario’s health minister. […] Deb Matthews went on Metro Morning on Friday to give the province’s side of the argument. “To say that we are providing coverage to failed claimants is simply wrong. We are providing coverage to people who are in the process of making that refugee claim. Once the deportation date has passed, we are not covering them,” she said. She admitted there is some emergency care that is provided to refugees. But that is only to alleviate the burden on doctors and medical professionals. […] ‘[Refugee claimants] are not getting care better than anyone else,” she said, noting that there are only emergency exceptions for pregnant women and children, and everyone else must wait three months for care like all other new arrivals to Ontario. She said the minister had not “done his homework” and that there was an ulterior motive behind the criticism. “It sure smells like politics to me,” she said. Late Friday, Alexander shot back at Matthews calling out the provincial government for a “reckless policy.”
Courrier International – Des États rendent la vie plus facile aux clandestins
En juin 2013, le Sénat américain votait un texte ambitieux sur l’immigration, ouvrant une voie d’accès à la citoyenneté pour des millions de clandestins. Depuis, le texte est resté bloqué : la Chambre des représentants, à majorité républicaine, n’en veut pas. Devant l’inertie des institutions fédérales, de nombreux États sont passés à l’action pour mieux intégrer les immigrés clandestins, relate le quotidien économique The Wall Street Journal. La semaine dernière, le New Jersey s’est joint aux 18 États qui permettent aux jeunes sans papiers de payer les frais moins élevés réservés aux résidents de l’État pour étudier dans les colleges (des établissements universitaires de premier cycle).
