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 – Jean Johnson : la francophonie en Alberta a fait d’immenses gains en 2014
Le président de l’Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA) Jean Johnson croit que la communauté francophone a progressé en 2014, notamment grâce à l’immigration. Bien qu’il soit fier des avancées de la communauté en économie et dans les services à la communauté, le président de l’ACFA constate toutefois un recul dans la capacité de pouvoir répondre à toutes les demandes du public d’expression française. Jean Johnson a également suivi de près les développements de la cause de Gilles Caron devant la Cour d’appel de l’Alberta. Il croit que l’ACFA a un rôle politique à jouer, peu importe le résultat de cette cause qui cherchera, en 2015, à faire reconnaître un statut bilingue à l’Alberta devant la Cour suprème du Canada. « Le résultat de la cause Caron n’est pas la solution pour les francophones, mais elle va influencer l’avenir des francophones », dit-il.
The Link – Immigrants Hold a Key for All Parties in 2015 Federal Election
“What’s most interesting politically about our coming to office and staying in office … the growth of Conservatism in Canada, our electoral support, has been largely, not exclusively, but largely by our penetration of immigrant voters … of so-called cultural communities,” Harper told Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker. “Fifteen years ago, like many Conservative parties in other parts of the world, we had a very small share of that vote. Today, we win most of those communities.” […]For Justin Trudeau, the immigrant vote in the 2015 campaign represents a symbolic and strategic goal — to reclaim the loyalty of a demographic once inextricably tied to his late father and also to rob Conservatives of a constituency that they’ve openly acknowledged as crucial to their power and legacy. And as odd as it was to hear Harper talking openly of strategy and Conservative legacy last fall, it was equally odd for Trudeau — reflecting on those remarks a few weeks later — to say he may agree with the prime minister to some extent about the conservatism of newcomers.
Toronto Star – Faith is Often a Visual Marker of Identity – But Also a Source of Discomfort
According to a new report by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, a poll of 2,005 Canadian adults put respect for human rights and freedoms at the top of a list of “Canadian values.” Yet, 64 per cent said they feel Canada’s multicultural ideals “allow for the pursuit of cultural practices that are incompatible with Canadian laws and norms.” Some 28 per cent named wearing of religious garb, such as hijabs, turbans or burkas, as an example of such practices. […] As Canada’s demographics have evolved with changing immigration patterns, the focus of multiculturalism has shifted. In the 1960s and ’70s, it was about recognizing the contributions of ethnic communities; in the 1980s and ’90s, the push to eliminate racism and enhance social equity. Today, the debate is dominated by questions about religious accommodation. With growing immigration from Asia and the Middle East, the percentage of Canadians following a non-Christian faith has risen in the past decade from 4.9 per cent to 7.2 per cent, led by Muslims (3.2 per cent), Hindu (1.5), Sikh (1.4), Buddhist (1.1) and Jewish (1). Ottawa’s creation of the Office of Religious Freedom in 2013 and recent introduction of the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act are prime examples of the shift in focus.
National Post – Merkel Government Urged to Overhaul Germany’s Refugee System as Anti-Immigrant Protests Grow
The Bavarian coalition partners of German Chancellor Angela Merkel are urging a radical overhaul of the country’s asylum system, including the swift deportation of those who are turned down for refugee status. The proposals coincide with the rise of a new far-right protest movement in which thousands have demonstrated against what they say is the “Islamization” of the country by Muslim immigrants. […] Bavaria’s ruling Christian Social Union, which is also a member of Ms. Merkel’s federal coalition, has proposed a new fast-track asylum process, based on the system used in Switzerland, in which “simple” cases would be decided in just six weeks. […] Asylum applications currently take about eight months to be processed in Germany, which has led to hunger strikes by refugees who say they are left in limbo, unable to work or earn a living until their cases are decided. Under the CSU proposal, applicants from a country considered safe — or who have already registered in another European Union country — will have their cases decided on fast track.
The Guardian (UK) – Smugglers Abandon Migrant Ship Off Italy in New Tactic to Force Rescue
A “ghost ship” carrying hundreds of migrants was abandoned on Friday by its crew of smugglers in dangerous seas off the coast of southern Italy, in a move that a spokesman for the International Organisation for Migration said “takes the smuggling game to a whole new level”. The cargo ship Ezadeen, which set sail under a Sierra Leone flag from a Turkish port this week, was discovered drifting without a captain 40 nautical miles from the Italian coast. Italian coastguards were forced to intervene to prevent a disaster and possibly save the lives of the estimated 450 people on board, many of them thought to be Syrian refugees. […] The tactic shows that despite the cancellation last autumn of Operation Mare Nostrum – an Italian-run rescue scheme that European authorities feared was a prominent reason why migrants were risking all to reach Europe – smugglers are still finding ways to get close to the Italian shore and force coastguards to rescue their passengers.
Globe and Mail – Iranian Immigrant Investors Shut Out of Provincial Programs
Under programs in Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia, would-be immigrants are required to make minimum investments ranging from $200,000 to $800,000 once they have been accepted. However, they need a permit from the office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to exempt them from the ban on transferring money from Iran to Canada. In December, a group of 54 applicants to Quebec sent a letter for Mr. Baird, warning that they would pursue legal action if they didn’t get permits by Jan. 4. “It is … hard to understand why no decision has been reached regarding these 54 demands, which represent a substantial investment in the Canadian economy,” the legal notice said. The letter alleges the delays are an abuse of power that Canadian courts have not allowed in the past. […] The delays in issuing permits to Iranian applicants to provincial immigrant-investor programs have withheld tens of millions of dollars in potential investment, according to Eiman Sadegh, a Montreal business immigration lawyer who knows of more than 100 cases in Quebec and more than 50 applicants to Manitoba and British Columbia.
