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.
Toronto Star – Senate Spares Impaired Immigrant Drivers from ‘Sledgehammer’ Penalty
The Senate has passed a critical amendment to the Impaired Driving Act that would spare permanent residents sentenced to less than six months from being deported. Bill C-46 intends to raise the maximum penalty for impaired driving in Canada from five to 10 years. As originally proposed, it would have automatically classified all DUI offences as “serious criminality.” That designation, under immigration law, would have resulted in the loss of permanent residence status even for a first-time offender who caused no bodily harm.
Global News – Intelligence Report Links Growth of Organized Crime with End of Romanian Visa Requirement
The government’s decision to no longer require Romanian citizens to obtain travel visas before coming to Canada has led to a “noticeable increase” in organized crime activity, according to a declassified report obtained by Global News. A Canada Border Services Agency Intelligence Advisory, obtained under the Access to Information Act, linked the growth of Romanian organized crime directly to the Trudeau government’s halting of the visa requirement six months ago.
CBC News – Tories Call on Government to Make LGBTQ Refugee Pilot Project Funding Permanent
The Conservatives are calling on the federal government to increase the number of LGBTQ refugees it accepts every year, and to make permanent the funding for a pilot project that helps LGBTQ refugees come to Canada. In March, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that funding of $50,000 a year for the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot Project would be extended for two years. The project assists people looking for refugee status in Canada due to persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender or HIV status.
CBC News – Canadian Claiming Border Agency Mistakenly Detained Him for 8 Months Sues for $10M
Olajide Ogunye, 47, was born in Nigeria and became a Canadian citizen in 1996. But his citizenship and Ontario health cards did not convince CBSA officers of his identity when they approached him outside his Toronto home on June 1, 2016. According to Ogunye’s statement of claim, the officers ran his fingerprints, which they said matched the identity of failed refugee claimant who had been deported from Canada. Ogunye says he was locked up for a total of eight months, from June 2016 through February 2017.
La Presse – Plus d’un million de migrants du Venezuela vers la Colombie en 16 mois
Plus d’un million de personnes ont migré du Venezuela vers la Colombie au cours des 16 derniers mois, la majorité fuyant la crise politico-économique, selon un bilan publié par le gouvernement mercredi. Après un processus d’identification effectué dans 413 des 1200 municipalités colombiennes, les autorités ont déterminé que 442 462 personnes bénéficient d’un permis de […].
Radio-Canada – Ottawa annonce la création d’un centre pour mieux soutenir l’immigration francophone hors Québec
Pour mieux accueillir ses immigrants francophones dans ses provinces et territoires, le gouvernement canadien annonce la création du Centre des politiques d’immigration francophone qui aura comme principaux objectifs d’accroître l’immigration francophone hors Québec. Ce centre visera aussi à améliorer la collaboration entre le ministère de l’Immigration, des Réfugiés et […].
