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 – Express Entry Touted as “Sea Change” in Immigration Policy
Canada’s first come, first-served, overly bureaucratic immigration system is ill-equipped to meet the needs of today’s job market, especially in highgrowth, low-unemployment areas of the country like Saskatchewan, says federal Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Alexander. “We have been stuck in the 1970s, maybe even the 1960s, in immigration, receiving applications in a mechanical, robotic way from whoever happened to apply,” Alexander told a Canadian HR Conference in Regina Wednesday. “We couldn’t predict who would apply from year to year, but we were obliged by law to process every application that came in – in the order it was received.” […] Express Entry, announced in July, represents a “sea change” in Canadian immigration policy, says Alexander. […] Express Entry will apply the various immigration programs – Skilled Worker Program, Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class – to a much larger group of candidates. “So that the (immigrants) that we actually invite to come to Canada, the ones whose applications we actually process, are the ones we know we actually need,” Alexander said. That’s because immigrants will have to meet certain educational, experience and employment criteria before they’re even considered for selection by Express Entry.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – En raison de l’amélioration des délais de traitement, nous accueillons un plus grand nombre de nouveaux citoyens
Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, a annoncé aujourd’hui que plus de 200 000 personnes étaient devenues citoyens canadiens depuis le début de 2014. Le ministre a aussi annoncé que l’arriéré des demandes avait été réduit de 13 p. 100 au cours des derniers mois et qu’il se situe actuellement à son plus bas niveau depuis le printemps 2012. Ces réussites font partie des résultats directement attribuables aux changements que le gouvernement a apportés récemment au processus d’octroi de la citoyenneté. Près de 50 000 personnes ont obtenu la citoyenneté canadienne depuis qu’un nouveau processus décisionnel est entré en vigueur le 1er août 2014. Il s’agit d’une augmentation de 172 p. 100 par rapport à la même période l’an dernier. En outre, grâce à la récente réforme, les agents décideurs ont pu s’attaquer à l’arriéré des cas dits « exceptionnels », notamment ceux pour lesquels des questions de résidence persistaient. Près de la moitié des cas pour lesquels on a délivré un questionnaire sur la résidence (QR) avant novembre 2013 ont été réglés et les demandeurs sont devenus citoyens canadiens.
Radio-Canada – Pas d’appel pour le journal Les immigrants
La Cour d’appel refuse d’entendre la cause du journal Les immigrants de la Capitale, qui a été condamné à une amende pour avoir publié sans consentement la photographie d’une musulmane portant le niqab. Le plus haut tribunal de la province en vient à la conclusion que le juge de la Cour supérieure a bien appliqué les règles de droit. Le mois dernier, le juge Marc Paradis avait accordé 7000 $ à la femme et à son conjoint pour atteinte à leur vie privée. Le journal avait publié une photographie du couple et affirmé que la présence de la femme portant le niqab au marché aux puces de Sainte-Foy avait causé un certain choc culturel. Le journaliste éditeur Mihai Claudiu Cristea s’est défendu en invoquant l’intérêt public. Le juge avait toutefois statué qu’il aurait dû demander la permission au couple avant de publier sa photo puisqu’il ne s’agissait pas de personnalités publiques.
New Canadian Media – Norwegian Diplomats Study Canadian Immigration Strategies
Fifteen Norwegian members of parliament came to Canada during the week of Sept. 15 to learn about Canada’s immigrant integration techniques. “The Scandinavian countries are currently reforming their immigration and integration policies and they are looking to learn from other countries about successful solutions,” says Dr. Trygve Ugland, a Norwegian expert in comparative politics and public policy who lives in Canada. […] He described the contrast between Canada’s experience with immigration and that of Norway. “It has been very different. Canada is a traditional immigration country and they have dealt with immigrants for a very, very long time. For the Scandinavian countries, immigration started in the ’50s and ’60s and even then, immigration was not that much,” he says. Ugland also describes the challenges Norway has had with its relations with immigrants. “I think one challenge has been that they are still underrepresented in many areas of political and economic life,” he says. “That is something that they would certainly like to improve.” He explained that Scandinavian countries are now accepting more economic immigrants, which he thinks will improve the settlement process for newcomers in those countries. In the ’80s and ’90s, he says, the tradition was to receive mostly refugees.
New Canadian Media – Diaspora Canadians Are Key to Success for Companies Looking to Expand Internationally
Studying business techniques used by some Canadian immigrants can be useful for entrepreneurs looking to expand their companies into the international market. That was the theme of Tuesday’s The Power of Diaspora Networks Conference held at the Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto, where entrepreneurs and business advisors opened up about their experiences and offered advice for those wanting to learn how to export their goods and services globally. According to entrepreneur Yan Martindale, networking and making connections in the early stages of her business played a major role in her success. [..] “It’s not about what you know,” Martindale says. “It’s about who you know. Networks are the most important things for any business.”
Montreal Gazette – Montreal Minor Faces Deportation to Mexico Without His Family
A 17-year-old Mexican youth is scheduled to be deported Thursday morning after he was arrested last week while visiting his old high school. The youth has been in a Laval detention centre since last week because a judge ruled that he was a flight risk. The youth’s family has been living in Montreal illegally since their refugee application was turned down in 2010. When the Canada Border Services Agency issued a removal order in 2011, the family decided to remain in Montreal and has been living here without any legal status. […] Rick Goldman, a lawyer and coordinator with the Committee to Aid Refugees, said it’s rare for minors to be deported without a parent. “Children’s interests are very important and Canada is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” he said. “This child is hard of hearing and it’s well documented that special education facilities in Mexico are almost non-existent. He was bullied in school (in Mexico) because of his disability and we think the government should suspend the removal until they rule on the humanitarian application.”
