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.
CBC – Temporary Foreign Worker Program Too Bureaucratic, Say Quebec Farmers
A group representing Quebec agriculture workers says some farms risk shutting down because of the bureaucracy surrounding the temporary foreign workers program. FERME, an organization that represents 800 farms and 8,000 agriculture workers, claims the lack of workers has directly contributed to the loss of $53.7 million for Quebec farmers in the 2013-2014 season. The agriculture industry was exempt from sweeping changes made to the temporary foreign worker program in June of this year. However, FERME takes issue with the amount of red tape surrounding the program. The group said because the program has changed so frequently, it has been an unreliable source of labour for this year’s farming season. More than 150 workers were unable to come to Quebec farms because of visa problems.
Globe and Mail – WHO Asks Canada to Justify Visa Ban for Residents of Ebola-Affected Countries
The World Health Organization has asked Canada to justify its decision to limit travel to this country from the West African countries combating Ebola. The federal government announced Friday it would not issue new travel visas for residents or citizens of countries with widespread and persistent Ebola transmission. As well, it has put a halt on the processing of permanent residency visas for people from those countries. […] Canada’s move contravenes the International Health Regulations which stipulate that in infectious disease outbreaks, countries should not impose trade or travel sanctions against affected countries beyond what the WHO has recommended. Under that treaty, countries which take measures that are stronger than those approved by the WHO must present the global health agency with the scientific and public health rationale for their actions. […] Some observers have noted that in 2003, Canada railed against travel restrictions. A delegation from the Ontario government — headed by then health minister Tony Clement, who is now an influential member of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet — traveled to Geneva to demand the WHO rescind Toronto’s travel advisory.
Toronto Star – Conservative Bill Tackles Polygamy, Forced Marriage Among Immigrants
The Harper government is bracing for international backlash to its proposed new law that would ban people in polygamous and forced marriages from immigrating to Canada, The Canadian Press has learned. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced the legislation Wednesday, calling such practices “incompatible with Canadian values.” […] If it becomes law, the bill would eliminate early and forced marriages from Canada’s immigration system and the country as a whole, said Alexander. The measures would not include arranged marriages. There are “at least hundreds” of cases of immigrants in polygamous marriages in Canada, the minister added. […] But the “Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act” might not go over so well in some Arab and African countries, suggests an internal government briefing note, obtained by The Canadian Press. The memorandum, dated Oct. 27 and stamped “Secret,” notes that polygamy remains legal in dozens of countries. “This new admissibility provision related to polygamy, even with the availability of tools to mitigate impact, will certainly create bilateral irritants since polygamy is recognized under civil law in 50 countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates) and under customary law in 12 countries (e.g. South Africa),” said the document.
Vancouver Observer – Canada and BC Unprepared for Climate-Based Migration, According to CCPA Study
A paper released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows a gap in thinking and policies at the intersection of climate change and immigration. Preparing BC for Climate Migration examines current policies and practices relating to climate migrants—people who, due to the effects of climate change, are displaced from their homes. […]The study identifies three key shortcomings: Neither our governments, nor the leadership of our health, housing and other core service systems, are thinking about, let alone planning for, what climate migration may require of our social, cultural, service and infrastructure systems. Immigration and refugee policy and practice are not currently designed to accommodate the underlying reality of climate change and migration; More migrants will require enhanced settlement and other social services, but service-provider organizations are already stretched thin. […]In particular, the report recommends Canada create a new immigration class of “climate migrants” along with targets and programs to ensure Canada absorb its fair share of those migrants. Key services—including legal, housing and education—should be made available to these migrants, and funding should be allocated to reduce strain on these already-overloaded systems.
Radio-Canada – Retour temporaire du programme de soins de santé aux réfugiés
La quasi-totalité des demandeurs d’asile en attente d’une décision sur leur statut auront temporairement accès à une couverture médicale similaire à celle de l’ensemble des citoyens canadiens. Les enfants et les femmes enceintes, notamment, font partie de ceux qui verront Ottawa payer la note pour la couverture de base et les médicaments, a confirmé mardi le ministre fédéral de l’Immigration, Chris Alexander. Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada avait été sommé par les tribunaux de procéder à des modifications au programme fédéral de santé intérimaire (PFSI), mis en place en 2012. La Cour fédérale a jugé en juillet dernier que les réfugiés touchés par le programme étaient victimes d’un « traitement cruel et inusité » au sens de l’article 12 de la Charte des droits et libertés, tout particulièrement, car il touchait des enfants emmenés au pays par leurs parents. « Les modifications apportées […] pourraient compromettre la santé, la sécurité, voire la vie de ces enfants innocents et vulnérables d’une manière qui choque la conscience et qui porte atteinte à la dignité humaine », avait écrit la juge Anne Mactavish dans son jugement. Le gouvernement avait demandé à la Cour d’appel fédérale de surseoir à la décision du tribunal inférieur, ce qui lui a été refusé vendredi dernier.
Acadie nouvelle – Immigration francophone: les nouveaux arrivants peinent à trouver un emploi
L’immigration francophone fait partie de la solution pour résoudre le problème démographique du Nouveau-Brunswick. Il n’est cependant pas facile pour les nouveaux arrivants de se trouver un emploi ou de se lancer en affaires. Une centaine de membres de la communauté d’affaires du Grand Moncton se sont donné rendez-vous, mercredi, au Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick – Campus de Dieppe pour un petit déjeuner-causerie, dans le cadre de la Semaine nationale de l’immigration francophone. Le message qu’a envoyé Anne Hébert, directrice générale du Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB), est clair. L’immigration francophone doit jouer un rôle important au Nouveau-Brunswick. «Le Nouveau-Brunswick a besoin d’accroître sa population, son nombre de travailleurs qualifiés et son nombre d’entrepreneurs. Attirer des entrepreneurs par l’immigration, ça fait partie de la solution. Pour les entrepreneurs, ça apporte de nouvelles façons de penser et ça contribue à la diversité du milieu tant francophone qu’anglophone», a précisé Mme Hébert.
