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.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Indian Immigrant Says Canadian System Better than U.S. for Professionals
Based on his own experiences, Deepak Gupta gives the Canadian immigration system higher marks than the U.S. one for himself, but said the U.S. system worked better for his mother. Mr. Gupta, a chemical engineer who runs the Applied Research and Innovation Centre at Centennial College in this Toronto suburb, is one of about 92,000 immigrants who came to Canada from the United States between 2003 and 2012, many of whom were born outside America. […] Mr. Gupta was able to get a Canadian visa quickly because his wife was a citizen. If he had applied for a work-based visa, he said, it probably would have taken him a couple years, but once he had it, he would have been able to work for any employer he wanted to. In America, by contrast, his H1B visa had an ultimate six-year limit, and because it is obtained through an employer, he was tied to his workplace. […] By contrast, the Canadian system was much tougher when it came to bringing his mother to North America.
Metro News – “A Lot More to Talk About:” Pier 21 Immigration Museum to Close for Major Renovations
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax will be closed over the next six months to update current exhibits, and make room for the new stories of immigrants across the country. Marie Chapman, museum CEO, said when they became a national museum in 2011 their mandate shifted to telling the whole story of Canadian immigration, not just Pier 21, so now there’s “a lot more to talk about.” “As the world becomes more global, it’s really important to remember the humanity of immigration and the importance it plays in a country like ours that’s so new,” Chapman said Monday. Starting this Saturday until May 2015, the museum will undergo renovations to overhaul the current Pier 21 exhibit and install the national one where the rental hall is now, Chapman said. A new rental space will be built behind the Canadian exhibit. The project will be funded through the federal government, who promised $25 million over five years to upgrade the museum.
Globe and Mail – Ontario Considering Funding for Foreign Graduate Students
Ontario is considering funding spots for graduate students from abroad, bowing to pressure from universities that say their global competitiveness is harmed because they have to turn away qualified foreign applicants due to lack of money. Universities and the ministry responsible for higher eduction have had conversations, and the issue is on the table in talks between the two groups this month. The government says it recognizes the importance of international students for the province and it will implement policies that protect Ontario’s “global reputation.” […] Ontario is one of the few provinces that does not finance graduate students from abroad, although some provincial scholarships are available. To attract top early-stage researchers many schools provide full funding packages that cover tuition and living costs. A 2012 survey from the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) found that Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia give universities the same amount of money for international students as for domestic ones, and Quebec and B.C. provide partial funding.
CBC – Foreign Caregivers Backlog Grows as Families Wait for Residency
The number of individuals waiting for permanent resident status under a program that brings foreign caregivers and nannies to Canada has ballooned to more than 60,000, according to documents released under an access to information request. More than half of those individuals waiting for permanent residency are the spouses and children of foreign caregivers already living in Canada, according to documents obtained under access to information and given to CBC News. […] Employment Minister Jason Kenney said in June the caregiver program had morphed into “a family reunification program.” But Teresa Agustin, the chair of Migrante Canada, a national organization representing Filipino immigrants, says that claim is false. She points to a national study published earlier this year of 631 former and current live-in caregivers showing the vast majority were recruited to Canada through employment agencies. The GATES survey, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, shows only one in 10 recent caregivers were hired by relatives. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/foreign-caregivers-backlog-grows-as-families-wait-for-residency-1.2778317
CNW Telbec – Protéger la citoyenneté canadienne – Les changements apportés par le gouvernement à la Loi sur la citoyenneté canadienne renforcent l’intégrité du système de citoyenneté
Alors que la Semaine de la citoyenneté tire à sa fin, le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration a souligné l’engagement du gouvernement visant à protéger le système de citoyenneté du Canadacontre la fraude et les abus. Depuis le début de 2014, le gouvernement a révoqué la citoyenneté de 22 personnes qui avaient obtenu leur citoyenneté canadienne au moyen de fraudes et de fausses déclarations. De récents changements apportés à la Loi sur la citoyenneté comprennent des mesures pour aider à lutter contre la fraude et protéger le programme de citoyenneté contre les abus. Il s’agit entre autres d’accroître les sanctions pour fraude, de déterminer qui est un représentant autorisé et de conférer le pouvoir d’élaborer des dispositions réglementaires afin de désigner un organisme de réglementation dont les membres seraient autorisés à agir en tant que consultants dans les affaires de citoyenneté, ainsi que de refuser la citoyenneté à un demandeur pour motifs de fraude à tout moment durant le processus de citoyenneté et lui interdire de présenter de nouveau une demande pendant cinq ans.
CBC – Ocean Lady Migrants from Sri Lanka Still Struggling 5 Years Later
Journalist Maran Nagarasa still recalls vividly the sense of elation aboard the Ocean Lady five years ago this week when he saw a plane flying overhead with a Canadian flag. “I was sure God had arrived to save us,” he said. But that feeling soon turned to fear as he and the 75 other Sri Lankan Tamils on board faced armed border guards and RCMP officers. On Oct. 17, 2009, they were arrested, jailed and interrogated. Eventually, most were released to await hearings before Canada’s refugee board. […] All aboard claimed they were fleeing persecution after witnessing atrocities during the 26-year-long Sri Lankan civil war. Each had paid the equivalent of about $40,000 to be taken to a safe country, in this case, Canada. […] Statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board as of June 2014 show that, of the 76 men on the Ocean Lady, 30 have been accepted as refugees and seven have been issued deportation notices. Another 27 had their claims rejected but are under review.
