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.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué — Réunir les familles et réduire les arriérés du système d’immigration du Canada
En réduisant l’arriéré et le temps d’attente pour l’immigration, le gouvernement du Canada réunit les familles plus rapidement, a annoncé aujourd’hui le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander. Durant les six premiers mois de 2013, Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada (CIC) a admis 45 000 résidents permanents au Canada dans la catégorie du regroupement familial, ce qui représente une augmentation de 40 p. 100 par rapport aux six premiers mois de 2012. Cette augmentation est presque entièrement attribuable au fait qu’on a doublé le nombre de personnes admises dans la catégorie des parents et des grands-parents pendant cette période.
Radio-Canada – La CSDM émet des réserves sur la charte des valeurs
La plus importante commission scolaire du Québec n’est ni pour ni contre la charte des valeurs québécoises, mais elle tient à ce que la population et le gouvernement prennent conscience des problèmes que le projet de loi va lui créer. La Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) accueille chaque année une bonne partie des immigrants qui s’établissent au Québec. Les élèves et les parents sont d’origines diverses; les enseignants le sont aussi. C’est pourquoi la CSDM ne se prononce pas pour ni contre le projet de charte. Elle émet toutefois plusieurs réserves. […]
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – Reuniting Families and Reducing Backlogs in Canada’s Immigration System
Over the first six months of 2013, Citizenship and Immigration Canada admitted 45,000 permanent residents to Canada in the Family Class (FC). This represents an increase of 40 percent over the first six months of 2012. This increase can be attributed almost entirely to a doubling of admissions in the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) category over that time period. Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the world, but growing backlogs in the PGP program meant families could expect to wait eight years or more to bring their loved ones from overseas. A pause on new applications, combined with high admission levels, has helped reduce the backlog. The PGP program re-opens to new applications on January 2, 2014. It will re-open with tighter admission criteria and a cap on applications, which will continue to reduce the backlog and improve wait times for families.
Edmonton Journal – Trudeau Works Free Kitchen, Talks Immigration on Downtown Eastside
Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says the country needs to strengthen its immigration system by processing more claims and bringing in more parents and grandparents in a timely fashion. […] He says the Conservative government has had a narrow-minded view of immigration, something he says has always been a national strength. Trudeau also says immigration will be an important source of economic benefit and economic growth, and Canadians must ensure they’re investing in settlement and integration tools, as well as language acquisition.
National Post – Former Ontario Refugee Judge Who Sought Sex for Asylum Claim Sees Conviction, Jail Term Upheld
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and 18-month prison sentence handed to a refugee judge who was caught on videotape offering to approve a 25-year-old South Korean woman’s asylum claim if she became his girlfriend. Stevan Ellis, a former Immigration and Refugee Board member who had also served on Toronto city council, had appealed his breach of trust conviction and sentence, partly on the grounds he is bipolar, but the court ruled against him. “The appellant tried to obtain a sexual relationship in exchange for a favorable decision. He held the complainant’s future in his hands and breached the trust inherent in his position,” the court ruled.
Toronto Star – Ottawa “Could Have Repealed” All Refugee Health Care, Federal Lawyer Tells Court
Cutting refugee healthcare services is a government policy choice and opponents to the changes can express their dissent at the ballot, the Federal Court was told by a government lawyer Wednesday. “The making and acting of policies are at the heart of the role of the government,” Marie-Louise Wcislo told a hearing Wednesday into the legality of the cuts to interim federal health (IFH) program. […] Wcislo said the refugee health program is an insurance scheme and the government is only responsible for the funding. It’s up to individual doctors and hospitals to decide whether they’ll take on refugee patients Ottawa has declared ineligible. […] Wcislo said ineligible patients have at least seven options, including buying private health insurance, using stop-gap programs introduced by some provinces since the cuts, requesting free care from clinics for the medically uninsured, or crashing hospital emergencies.
