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.
Toronto Star – Canadian Citizenship Rejections Have More Than Doubled Since 2006
The refusal rate of new citizens has more than doubled from 2006 to 2010, when Ottawa raised the pass mark of the citizenship test According to federal statistics obtained by the Star, the rejection rate went up from 1.4 per cent to 3.5 per cent in the five-year period. In 2006, 3,872 people — or 1.4 per cent of those applying for citizenship — were denied. In March 2010, the federal government launched a new test and raised the passing mark from 60 per cent to 75 per cent. Subsequently, 5,351 — or 3.5 per cent of the applicants — were turned down.
Le Devoir – Un Soutien Accru Pour Les Réfugiés Et Les Immigrants
Monsieur le Ministre des Finances Raymond Bachand, À l’aube du prochain budget que vous comptez présenter le 20 mars prochain, les 142 organismes de la Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI) désirent porter à votre attention les préoccupations de ceux qui oeuvrent quotidiennement auprès des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes dans toutes les régions du Québec.
Toronto Star – Super Visa Applications for Visitors to Canada Are Often Rejected
Since November, Ottawa has stopped accepting new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents in order to halt the growing backlog, which now stands at 168,500. It plans to accept between 21,800 and 25,000 applications in the category in 2012, up from 15,326 in 2010. As of February, 1,361 Super Visa applications have been assessed, with 313 — or 23 per cent — of the cases refused. In comparison, Canada rejects 20 per cent of the 1 million temporary resident visa applications it receives yearly.
Globe and Mail – Canada’s Top Employers For New Canadians
In today’s competitive labour market, new Canadian job seekers without Canadian experience or recognized credentials face increasing difficulty. The 2012 winners of Canada’s Best Employers for New Canadians have reached out to support newcomers in practical and welcoming ways.
Globe and Mail – Jobless Portuguese Flocking to Former Colonies of Brazil, Angola
Graduates scouring the recruitment pages amid Portugal’s worst recession in memory are increasingly opting for the chance of a better life in the former colonies of Angola and Brazil. Portugal flourished as a global power with explorers like Vasco da Gama and Pedro Alvares Cabral building an empire that lasted for 600 years. Now, a new wave of adventurers is once again seeking work, and fortune, elsewhere.
Globe and Mail – Strategies Imported From Home Countries
They labour under some disadvantages, but their willingness to take risks, attitudes inherited from entrepreneurial cultures, and outsiders’ view of Canada allows immigrants to spot gaps where there are business opportunities.
