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.
The Observer – Rural Exodus is a Choice We’ve Made, But Some are Keeping a Foot in the Country
Many smaller communities believe, if they could just coax city dwellers and immigrants to leap beyond Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, they could keep them for life. Ted Zatylny, a project leader for the New Resident Attraction and Retention Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership, in southwestern Ontario, believes: “It’s really marketing.” […] “Our experience has been that once immigrants, like most other people, find Peterborough, they quickly recognize the strength of the community and the high quality of life here and as such they work very hard to stay,” says Musta, a co-ordinator at the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigration Integration.
Toronto Star – Ottawa Not Expecting Czech Refugee Claims to Surge
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander says he is confident Canada won’t see a spike in refugee claims from the Czech Republic after it lifts its visa requirement. The restriction against Czech nationals — an effective tool in controlling the inflow of refugee claimants — will be removed in coming weeks as part of the recent Canada-European Union Trade Agreement, said Alexander. In 2009, when Ottawa imposed the visa condition upon travellers from the Czech Republic, it immediately grounded the influx of Czech asylum seekers, mostly Roma, from 2,213 to 70 a year. On the other hand, when the visa restriction on applicants from Hungary was removed in 2008, the number of refugee claims skyrocketed from 281 to 2,417 within one year, peaking at 4,432 in 2011. Alexander believes that new changes made by the government last December to expedite the processing of asylum claims are enough to prevent a repeat.
The Health Services Appeal and Review Board (HSARB) has reaffirmed its decision to allow extended healthcare coverage for Ontario migrant workers in extreme medical cases, following an appeal by the provincial Ministry of Health. The initial decision, on Aug. 16, resulted from the case of two Jamaican workers, Kenroy Williams and Denville Clarke, who had been seriously injured in a road accident in Aug. 2012. […] According to a press release from Justicia for Migrant Workers — a Toronto political collective that intervened to assist Williams and Clarke — the employer tried to have the pair sent back to Jamaica before they could receive sufficient treatment for their injuries. […] The provincial government appealed the HSARB’s initial decision, arguing that the two men didn’t meet the requirements for extended OHIP coverage because they didn’t have work permits. But the board upheld its previous decision.
Canada.com – Federal Government Launches Business Incubator Immigration Visa
The federal government is expanding its new start-up visa program for immigrant entrepreneurs even though it has yet to issue a single visa since the program launched six months ago. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced Monday a new business incubator immigration stream to complement existing venture capital and angel investor streams. As part of the program, entrepreneurs seeking permanent residency in Canada must first gain the support of an angel investor group, venture capital fund or new business incubator before they can apply for the start-up visa.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – Celebrating Citizenship Week, Putting Canada First
Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today invited Canadians from coast to coast to coast to take part in Citizenship Week 2013 activities happening in communities across Canada. […] Alexander delivered his remarks at a special citizenship ceremony at the base of the CN Tower. It was the first of 58 such ceremonies across Canada this week where more than 4,400 people will take the Oath of Citizenship for the first time. Many more Canadians will participate in reaffirmation ceremonies nationwide.
Times Colonist – Sri Lankan Migrants From MV Sun Sea Face an Uncertain Fate
One man is facing a deportation order to Sri Lanka, which his lawyer is fighting amid revelations two other asylum seekers from the MV Sun Sea were imprisoned, one brutally tortured, after they were sent back to that country. Another man is in jail facing human smuggling charges that have been found by one trial judge to be unconstitutional. That decision is being reviewed by the B.C. Court of Appeal. They’re examples of the myriad legal challenges facing the federal government’s aggressive stance on 492 Tamil asylum seekers who came to Victoria on the MV Sun Sea on Aug. 13, 2010. The Conservative government vowed to challenge the refugee claims of many Sun Sea passengers and prosecute people who organized the ship’s voyage from Thailand, in order to send a strong message to human smugglers.
