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.
Star Phoenix – New Process “Complicated” for Foreign Students
New federal immigration rules make it much harder for international students to stay in Canada after studying in Saskatchewan, some near graduation say. […] A federal bureaucratic change on Jan. 1 lumped international graduates in the same category as every applicant with Canadian work experience applying for permanent residency. […] Set to graduate in the spring, Hossain, 29, would like to apply for post-doctoral fellowships. That’s the route many people take before seeking a job as a university faculty member. The problem? A post-doctoral fellowship is not considered a permanent job, making him ineligible to apply for residency through the federal program. Jobs eligible for the provincial program must last longer than two years, which some fellowships do not exceed. […] The provincial nominee program has not changed for international students, says Kirk Westgard, executive director of immigration services with the Saskatchewan ministry of economy. Westgard said the SINP is competitive with other provinces, user-friendly and has a relatively short application processing time of about two months.
The Vancouver Straight – Project Addresses Gaps Between Vancouver’s LGBT and Immigrant Groups
Vancouver may seem like quite the LGBT paradise to many who come from over 80 countries where LGBT people are condemned, criminalized, and persecuted. For those who do arrive in Metro Vancouver, however, there are a number of cracks that they can easily slip through that can turn the dream into a nightmare. On the line with the Georgia Straight, MOSAIC’s Roja Bagheri explained that while Vancouver has services and communities for both cultural and LGBT groups, these two worlds often remain separate, without much overlap. That gap can become an unbridgeable chasm to LGBT immigrants that can compound their challenges. […] Bagheri is the program coordinator for a six-month pilot-program called I Belong, which is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and conducted in conjunction with Rainbow Refugee, a community group for LGBT refugees. The project, which began in October and is being conducted in Burnaby and New Westminster, was designed to raise LGBT awareness within MOSAIC, a non-profit organization for immigrants and newcomers, as well as within other organizations too.
Vancouver 24 Hours – B.C. Group Challenges Smuggling Law
Human smuggling charges laid after dozens of Sri Lankan Tamils arrived in B.C. by boat six years ago are before the Supreme Court of Canada this week concerning the reach of the country’s refugee act. On Tuesday, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association will plead its case as interveners regarding the criminal provisions dealing with what they call an unconstitutional section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Four of the five cases before the courts regard charges of human smuggling in relation to the MV Ocean Lady that arrived on B.C.’s shore with 76 Sri Lankan Tamils in 2009. Dan Sheppard, lawyer for the BCCLA in Ottawa, said section 117 of the act criminalizes anyone – be it a humanitarian or a refugee helping a family member flee from persecution – to assist an undocumented person entering Canada. Although a B.C. Supreme Court judge found section 117 unconstitutional, it was later overturned in B.C. Court of Appeal. The Crown had shifted its argument that the broad language of the law to prevent individuals from arranging illegal entry of others into Canada, and enforcing the country’s sovereignty, integrity and protecting public health and safety.
Metro News Canada – Youth Rally in Support of Families of Detained Immigrants to Canada
Family Day didn’t quite live up to its name for some Ontario families Monday. They couldn’t spend time with a father, a mother, a sibling or another relative — all immigrants awaiting deportation at a Lindsay, Ont., prison. A group of young people from Toronto and surrounding areas think that should change. About 80 of them came from as far as Peterborough and Guelph on Monday to rally in Christie Pits Park, hoping to raise awareness about what they say are nearly 200 immigrants being held at the Lindsay facility as their cases are decided. Canada, unlike other countries, doesn’t have a limit on how long people can be held pending deportation. It’s something the protestors want to see changed. They’re calling for a maximum holding time of 90 days and want to make sure people aren’t detained in maximum-security prisons like the one in Lindsay.
Toronto Star – Dance Imitates Life in Class Aimed at Helping Migrant Youth Cope with Challenges
The dance hall looks nothing like a professional studio — there are no hardwood sprung floors or wall-to-wall mirrors. But nothing can dampen the enthusiasm and determination of these youthful dancers — many of whom have come to Canada on their own, without documents — to express their inner feelings and explore their passion for any dance form, from hip hop to salsa, dancehall, traditional African, jazz and break-dance. […] “You come here and check your worries and fears at the door,” said Francois Dushimiyimana, 20, who left his family behind in Rwanda when he sought asylum here in December 2013, via the United States. “We all go through our journey alone, and no one seems to understand. Here we meet other people in the same boat and share our stories. We have great support because we’ve been through the same, and we don’t judge one another.” Offered weekly at the Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre and St. Stephen’s Community House, the program was initiated by the FCJ Refugee Centre last fall to help some three dozen at-risk newcomer youth learn life skills through dance classes that would otherwise be out of their reach financially.
Globe and Mail – BC Civil Liberties Association to Argue Human Smuggling Cases in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Canada this week is set to hear arguments in a number of cases calling into question the reach of the country’s human smuggling laws. Four of the five cases involve Sri Lankan migrants, and the fifth involves a Cuban man who fled to Canada, where he was denied refugee status after being convicted of human smuggling in the United States. The five, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, comprise both criminal cases and admissibility cases, which determine who can make refugee claims. The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is an intervener in a case involving dozens of undocumented Sri Lankan Tamils who arrived on the coast of British Columbia aboard the MV Ocean Lady in 2009. The BCCLA will argue that a section of the federal government’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) is too abstract and therefore unconstitutional.
