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.
Globe and Mail – Ottawa to Welcome Older Immigrants to Clear Family Backlog
Canada will welcome 25,000 parents and grandparents as immigrants next year, despite concerns about the economic impact of targeting older rather than younger immigrants. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the federal government has decided to “bite the bullet” on family reunification in order to reduce a backlog of applications that had grown unmanageable. “I don’t suggest that this is an economic benefit to Canada,” Mr. Kenney said. “We have a certain commitment to family reunification as one element of our immigration program, but as I’ve said it has to be limited because of fiscal constraints.”
Globe and Mail – Why Immigration Limits Hurt Canada’s Mid-Sized Cities
Historically, the vast majority of immigration into Canada has clustered in the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal Census Metropolitan Areas as well as some of the smaller urban centres surrounding Toronto and Vancouver. In recent years, however, there has been a substantial increase in the annual immigrant levels in mid-sized urban centres that historically relied on inter-provincial migration and natural increases for most of their population gains. […] During the 2010/2011 year the immigrant population in Canada’s CMAs alone was estimated to have increased by nearly 240,000.
Vancouver Sun – Would-Be Immigrant Investors Sue Federal Government Over Processing Delays
A half-dozen Chinese immigrant investors have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over lengthy processing delays. The would-be investors applied to the popular cash-for-visa program before September 2009 and want the courts to force the government to review their applications within six months to a year, according to documents filed in Federal Court this week. As the immigrant investor stream is under review by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, they’re also calling on the courts to bar the government from tossing their applications should “more stringent” criteria be adopted and are seeking $5 million in compensation if in fact their applications are returned without consideration.
Toronto Star – Most Torontonians of Jamaican Descent a Boon to the City
These are the Jamaicans you don’t hear enough about — a high-achieving, prosperous community too often eclipsed by Toronto’s preoccupation with gang violence. […] Over 24 hours on Sept. 19, seven Star journalists tracked 50 GTA residents of Jamaican descent to record their impact on the Toronto region.
Hamilton Spectator – Skilled Immigrant Backlog Will be Eliminated by Next Year: Kenney
The Harper government says a backlog of skilled immigrant applications, which has clogged the system for years, is declining rapidly and will be eliminated by the end of next year. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says about 100,000 applications are still in the system, compared with 640,000 just a few years ago. He told a news conference the eradication of the waiting list means a new immigrant labour pool from which employers and provinces can choose will be established ahead of schedule.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – An Immigration System that Works for Canada’s Economy
Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced today it will admit up to 55,300 persons in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category in 2013. Combined with previous actions taken to manage the backlog, this means by the end of 2013 we will be able to process new applications as they are received – a “just in time” system – and aim to process them in less than a year, instead of up to eight years under the old FSW program. In addition, CIC expects to clear the FSW applications received to date by the end of 2014, three years earlier than originally expected.
