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 – Website Navut.com Matches Newcomers with the Perfect Neighbourhood
When Mauro Repacci immigrated to Canada from Brazil in 2008 with only two suitcases in hand, he had no friend or relative here, and needed to find an apartment in a week. The business graduate ended up in a rough neighbourhood that didn’t meet his hopes for a hip, up-and-coming area with nice restaurants and artsy hangouts. And worse, he says he and his wife were charged $200 a month more on their rent than other tenants in the building. That’s how Repacci, 30, came up with the idea for a startup company to offer a free online service that would match newcomers with neighbourhoods suited to their desired lifestyle — and connect them with properties up for rent and sale in those areas. After a one-year trial run of the service in Montreal, where Navut.com is based, it has expanded into Greater Toronto, one of seven cities or regions and 1,011 neighbourhoods across Canada that are currently covered.
Toronto Star – Ottawa Ignores Rule of Law in Refugee Health Cuts Case
The Harper government’s recent decision to continue denying health care benefits to certain groups of refugees is deeply problematic not only because it means vulnerable people in this country will continue to suffer, and possibly die. All Canadians — regardless of their views on refugee health care — should also be deeply alarmed by the fact that this week our government chose to blatantly ignore an explicit court order. This type of action cuts directly against the rule of law, one of the most fundamental principles in any democracy. Canadians need to know that this has happened. And they need to care. […] While certain refugee claimants have had their coverage restored, others have not. Since the 2012 changes creating different levels of coverage for different people became void on Nov. 4, the government has no legal authority to draw these distinctions. Its public statements that it is following the court’s order are blatantly false.
Toronto Star – Canada Should Offer Haven to More Caught in Global Refugee Crisis
Last year Canada took in some 12,000 refugees, roughly split between government-assisted and privately sponsored, and we accepted 8,000 asylum claims. Despite a sharp dip in 2012 the refugee intake has been largely stable for the past 20 years. But relative to the size of our population, which has grown 23 per cent in that time, it is hardly impressive. And we’ve seen nothing on the scale of our decision 35 years ago to take in 60,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian “boat people” in just 18 months. […] It’s especially discouraging at a time when the UN reports the need is so great. The formal global refugee population has swelled to nearly 17 million, and asylum-seekers to 1 million. Another 33 million are internally displaced within their own borders.
FCFA – Communiqué – 2e Semaine nationale de l’immigration francophone : un succès sur toute la ligne
Un total de 102 activités, 35 villes et régions, neuf provinces et un territoire : la FCFA est très satisfaite des résultats de la Semaine nationale de l’immigration francophone 2014, qui s’est terminée samedi. Pour la Fédération, l’événement, qui en était à sa deuxième édition, a réellement connu un retentissement partout au pays. « Au-delà des activités, ce qu’on remarque c’est la participation de nos médias, tant les journaux et les radios communautaires que Radio-Canada et TFO. Partout au pays, on a parlé d’immigration francophone la semaine dernière ; on a entendu, vu et lu des témoignages de nouveaux arrivants d’expression française, on a fait ressortir les défis et les succès, on a mis en valeur les structures et les services d’établissement en français. En termes de sensibilisation, c’est un grand succès », déclare la présidente de la FCFA, Marie-France Kenny. À cet égard, la FCFA tient entre autres à souligner la contribution des stations régionales de Radio-Canada qui, en ces temps difficiles pour la société d’État, ont plus que jamais démontré leur pertinence en couvrant les activités de la Semaine et en diffusant des portraits d’immigrants dans nos communautés.
Radio-Canada – Des coupes dans le milieu de l’immigration dénoncées
Les régions craignent de perdre une voie d’accès aux travailleurs immigrants. Des organismes qui s’occupent du programme de régionalisation accusent le gouvernement Couillard de leur imposer des coupes tellement importantes qu’elles compromettent leur survie. Ils accusent le gouvernement Couillard de détourner à d’autres fins les 320 millions de dollars qu’ils reçoivent annuellement par le fédéral pour l’intégration des travailleurs immigrants. Ils estiment recevoir seulement 16 millions de cette somme. « On trouve ça très menaçant parce qu’en plus d’avoir 5 % de cette portion d’argent, on a été coupés et c’est cette incertitude-là qui nous a fait se mobiliser », affirme Éva Lopez, qui dirige le bureau d’intégration communautaire des immigrants de Chaudière-Appalaches. Lundi matin, des élus ont d’ailleurs joint leur voix aux représentants des services communautaires d’aide à l’intégration des immigrants en région pour dénoncer la situation.
CBC – Ismael Omar Awaleh Could Be Deported Before Ottawa Police Face Assault Charges
A man who alleges he was assaulted by two Ottawa police officers could be deported to Somalia before the case goes to court. The Special Investigation Unit charged Constables Erin Cavan and Jordan Blonde with assaulting a man in their custody last May. The CBC has learned the alleged victim — 32-year-old Ismael Omar Awaleh — is being held at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), on an outstanding order for his removal from Canada to Somalia. His lawyer, Paul Lewandowski, hopes Awaleh will not be deported before the officers face the assault charges in criminal court. But, he adds, he’s not excluding that possibility. […] Awaleh has been in detention since May, according to his lawyer, Paul Lewandowski. Initially, Awaleh served jail time after pleading guilty to criminal charges against him. But, subsequently, he was placed in the custody of the CBSA. He’s being held indefinitely at the Ottawa detention centre while authorities consider his deportation. He hasn’t been in Somalia since he arrived in Canada as a refugee when he was four years old. The impact of the SIU charges on his removal process from Canada is unclear.
