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.
Global News — Canada urged to suspend refugee pact with U.S. over persecution fears
Several civil society groups are calling on Ottawa to suspend a refugee pact with the United States over concerns for the safety of transgender and gender-diverse people. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and Rainbow Railroad are urging the federal government to immediately pause the Safe Third Country Agreement. Under the agreement, which took effect in 2004, Canada and the United States recognize each other as safe places for refugees to seek protection.
City News — Refugees and their sponsors feel stuck after halt to programs letting communities resettle newcomers
Refugees had been arriving in the United States at levels unseen in nearly three decades, assisted by nonprofits and ordinary people across the political spectrum. More than 160,000 Americans across every state signed up to resettle newcomers through the Welcome Corps, a public-private effort launched two years ago. More than 800,000 new arrivals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ukraine and Afghanistan were also welcomed with help from financial supporters through a legal tool known as humanitarian parole.
National Post — Immigration minister says Canadian universities bringing in too many Indian students
Immigration Minister Marc Miller accused Canadian universities of sourcing too many students from India, and said he expects a better “diversity” of international students in future. He also said Canada needs to return to relying on “quality” over “quantity” of immigrants. “I think we do need to make sure that the Canadian brand does focus on excellence, on quality, and less quantity,” he said. The comments were delivered at a media roundtable in Brampton, Ont., one of the Canadian cities most impacted by an unprecedented spike in immigration overseen by the Trudeau government since 2021. Miller was hosted by Brampton Centre MP Shafqat Ali.
CBC News — ‘It’s very stressful’: With expenses high and wages low, many P.E.I. newcomers are struggling to get by
For Rupinder Kaur, the reality of life on Prince Edward Island is very different from what she imagined when she moved here last spring. Kaur is from India. Like so many foreign workers on P.E.I., who moved here with post-graduate work permits after finishing their studies elsewhere in Canada, Kaur fully expected she’d have to settle for a low-wage job. What she didn’t expect was to have to work two jobs, seven days and 60 hours a week, just to cover her groceries and rent — $700 for one room in a four-bedroom house on the outskirts of Charlottetown.
Government of Canada — Canada renews commitment to welcome people affected by the conflict in Sudan
Canada’s approach to immigration supports community needs, economic objectives and humanitarian responsibilities. A key part of these responsibilities is Canada’s long-standing commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable, including people affected by the conflict in Sudan. After violence erupted in Khartoum on April 15, 2023, Canada took on a leadership role, organizing discussions with like-minded countries to coordinate a response to the crisis. This included work to get hundreds of Canadian citizens and permanent residents and their family members out of Sudan, along with the launch of temporary and permanent immigration measures to help keep people safe and keep families together.
CBC News — Ottawa commits to resettling 4,700 Sudanese refugees, reopens family pathway following outcry
After it was declared the worst humanitarian crisis in the world by the African Union, Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada is committing to resettle 4,700 refugees fleeing the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Ottawa is also reopening applications on Feb. 25 for the permanent residence pathway program it created for close family members of Sudanese Canadians, adding 1,750 applications to the 3,250 it has already received for a total of 5,000. The ministry estimates the applications will lead to roughly 10,000 people resettling in Canada via their family anchors here.
