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.
Age, Language Are Key to Better Outcomes for Immigrants
Many immigration issues transcend economics, but Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s cross-country consultation is a remarkable opportunity for an overdue national discussion regarding the role of immigration in the Canadian economy.Economists, government analysts and others have been documenting the ongoing decline in immigrant labour market outcomes for at least two decades. In 1980, the percentage of immigrants and the Canadian-born living below the low-income cut-off (sometimes called a poverty line) was almost identical at about 17 per cent. Since then, the rate for immigrants increased to more than 21 per cent (in 2005), while that for the Canadian-born decreased to 13 per cent.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s announcement that he’s launching stakeholder consultations on Canada’s immigration program presents a timely opportunity for a national conversation. How will we adapt to a century of unprecedented mobility? Will we harness migration to build a more dynamic society and economy, or will we quietly recede from the frontiers of globalization, sacrificing innovation and prosperity for a more static society?
Multicultural Canada : A Haven From Norway-Style Violence?
Given Canada’s long experience with multiculturalism, the anti-immigrant message underlying the Norway massacre seems less of a threat here, though the rise in hate crimes and negative political rhetoric in this country are ominous warning signs, experts say. There’s no reason for Canadians to be smugly confident, says Barbara Perry, associate dean of the faculty of social science and humanities at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Ever since portions of Georgia’s controversial anti-immigration law took effect, the volume of the protests seems to have subsided. But that may be about to change. Georgia’s new law has caught the attention of activists from across the country. Many of them were in Atlanta Wednesday night to help kick the tenor of the protests up a notch.
Khadr Hires New Lawyers Before Return To Canada From Gitmo
Guantanamo prisoner Omar Khadr has hired two Toronto lawyers known for their work in national security and constitutional law. A press release Thursday announced that John Norris and Brydie Bethell would represent Khadr in Canada, where he will arrive sometime during the next three months to serve the remainder of an eight-year sentence. The convicted war criminal must be transferred to a Canadian prison sometime before Oct. 31, according to a plea deal reached last fall.
War Crimes Prosecution Not Up To Canada, Toews Says
It’s not up to Canada to prosecute people suspected of crimes against humanity, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Wednesday. The federal government has been publicly stepping up deportations of people found inadmissible to Canada because of a suspicion they may have participated in war crimes. But Toews said it’s not realistic for Canada to investigate, prosecute and imprison people who commit crimes against humanity in other countries.
