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.
Hamilton Spectator – Making the Immigrant Connection
Almost half of Hamilton’s immigrants lived somewhere else in Canada before relocating here. Among immigrants living in Hamilton in 2011 who came to Canada after 1995, 47 per cent came as secondary migrants, after living elsewhere in Canada. Moreover, these secondary migrants to Hamilton were more likely to be economic class immigrants. Economic class immigrants are admitted to Canada because of their skills, experience and language. They have higher levels of education, are more likely to be working, and have higher employment earnings compared with other immigrants. The emerging evidence suggests that mobility is connected to employment and business success. For example, employment incomes are virtually identical among immigrants who relocated to Hamilton and those who left Hamilton. By comparison, these mobile immigrants have higher incomes compared with immigrants who have lived in Hamilton since arriving in Canada. This holds true for both men and women. The data also reveals that, since 1996, the proportion of immigrants to Hamilton with a diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate has increased. As well, it indicates that employment opportunities are positively correlated with education and with language and communication skills.
Metro News – Toronto Group Calls for Stay on Deportations to Countries Fighting Ebola
A Toronto group is leading an effort to put a moratorium on deportations and speed up immigration applications for people with ties to three Western African countries battling Ebola. About 200 people from across Canada signed a petition calling on swift action on applications for people from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The petition was sent last month to Minister of Immigration Chris Alexander. It specifically mentions expediting permanent resident applications for spouses and common-law partners along with the renewal of things like work permits. “It’s a lot of suffering for people whose spouses are left in this whole Ebola crisis as they wait for the papers to come through,” said Amadou Barry. Barry helped lead the effort with other Guineans living in Toronto. They’re part of a group called the Citizen Action Commission. The petition also asks that Canada waive fees for immigration services and start processing visa applications, which were frozen because of Ebola concerns.
CBC – Canada Launches Pilot Program for Spouses Waiting for Permanent Residency
The federal government will start issuing open work permits to help the spouses of Canadians already living in the country but waiting for permanent residency, under a one-year pilot program launched today. […] “As we promised, Citizenship and Immigration Canada is launching a pilot program that will allow spouses being sponsored under the Inland Spousal Sponsorship program to receive their work permits much sooner while we process their applications,” a spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander told CBC News on Monday. […] Existing applicants, who have been waiting in certain cases upwards of 18 months, could see their open work permit applications processed within a matter of weeks, while new applicants could see their permit applications processed within four months. An open work permit allows applicants to work for any employer for a specified period of time while their permanent residence applications are processed. This would also allow the applicants to receive provincial health coverage while awaiting permanent residency.
Wall Street Journal – Canada Wants Refugees to Go West
Canada is weighing steps to settle refugees in parts of the country with low unemployment levels, signaling the government’s effort to use immigration policy to support economic growth—without alienating voters. Canada has one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the Group of 20 industrial and developing nations, and just over half of immigrants and nearly half of refugees to Canada settle in Ontario, the country’s largest province, which has a higher unemployment rate than faster-growing Alberta, which attracts a much smaller share of newcomers. […] Refugees could help meet demand for unskilled labor by settling in the resource-rich Alberta, and help to avoid concentrations of unemployed immigrants in central Canada, Minister of Employment Jason Kenney said in an interview. […] The service industry in Alberta has grown to rely on foreign workers, who come to the country on special visas to do specific jobs, and limiting their entry angered business groups and politicians. But Alberta has attracted a small share of other categories of immigrants, and only 11% of refugees, or 2,751 people.
Radio-Canada – Les immigrants investisseurs devront contribuer plus à l’économie
Ottawa a dévoilé son nouveau programme pilote visant à attirer les gens fortunés qui voudraient s’installer au pays. Les candidats devront posséder une fortune d’au moins 10 millions de dollars et investir dans l’économie canadienne 2 millions en capital de risque en échange de la résidence permanente. Plutôt que d’attendre pendant quatre, cinq ou même six ans, comme c’était le cas avec l’ancien programme, un investisseur pourra obtenir le statut de résident en moins de six mois. Il devra toutefois contribuer beaucoup plus à l’économie canadienne, car le programme précédent, annulé parce qu’on estimait qu’il ne générait pas de véritables retombées, demandait seulement un prêt sans intérêt de 800 000 $. Le nouveau programme entre en vigueur dès janvier. Il semble déjà attirer fortement les riches Chinois. Au Québec, en vertu d’une entente spéciale avec le gouvernement fédéral qui lui permet d’être seul responsable de la sélection de ses immigrants, il existe également un programme pour immigrants investisseurs.
Express Ottawa – Retour sur 2014: plus de difficultés pour l’immigration francophone
Le chemin a été une nouvelle fois tortueux pour l’immigration francophone hors Québec en 2014. Avec un constat de 2% des immigrants francophones s’établissant à l’extérieur de la Belle Province, les objectifs fixés par la Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA), à savoir une cible de 5% d’immigrants, ne sont toujours pas atteints. «Je ne suis pas satisfait du rythme de croissance de l’immigration francophone hors Québec», déclarait le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, de passage à La Cité en novembre. Quelques semaines avant, le gouvernement fédéral annonçait pourtant la fin du programme «Avantage significatif francophone» mis sur pied en juin 2012 pour appuyer les communautés francophones en situation minoritaire. Le concept visait à simplifier le processus d’embauche de travailleurs francophones.
