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 News – CAQ Immigration Plan Sets 3-Year Deadline on Learning French, Passing Values Test
The Coalition Avenir Québec wants to give newcomers three years to show they can speak French and conform to Quebec values or they will be flagged to federal immigration authorities. Under the plan, laid out in an “orientation document” made public this week, immigration candidates would receive a temporary three-year permit, referred to as a certificat d’accompagnement transitoire (CAT), and be tested on certain criteria such as knowledge of the French language in order to receive authorization to apply for Canadian residency.
Global News – 3 Ontario Residents Charged with Allegedly Exploiting, Trafficking Migrant Workers
The CBSA alleges three people recruited migrant workers from the Philippines and other countries to work as mushroom pickers in Ontario. They say the charges come after a year-long investigation into the alleged scheme. The owner and operator of the Sharon Mushroom Farm in Sharon, Ont., Laxman Marsonia; the owner and operator of A&L Hammer Workforce Management in Toronto, Liwayway (Lily) Mirand; and Yatin Bera of Richmond Hill, Ont., were all charged.
Global News – If Immigration Was Slashed, Canada’s Economy Would Feel the Pinch: Report
Due to Canada’s small population and aging workforce, a new Conference Board of Canada report predicts that eliminating immigration would have a negative impact on the Canadian economy by 2040. “They are going to contribute to our labour force, but they’re also going to contribute in terms of economic activity,” explained Kareem El-Assal, senior research associate with the Conference Board. The report goes further in predicting that Canada’s population growth will be driven entirely by immigrants by the year 2040.
Le Devoir – G7 : l’occasion pour le Canada d’aborder la crise des migrants
La présidente de Médecins sans frontières (MSF), Joanne Liu, estime que le Canada devra profiter de la prochaine réunion du G7, à La Malbaie, pour donner le ton et aborder franchement la crise des quelque 60 millions de gens en déplacement forcé sur la planète. «Le Canada doit se mouiller», a-t-elle affirmé, lundi, en rencontre de presse après avoir averti un auditoire réuni par le Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal […].
Toronto Star – Number of Asylum Seekers Jumped 30 Per Cent in April
The federal government said the number of people intercepted by the RCMP while crossing the border in April jumped 30 per cent to 2,560. A month earlier, in March, 1,970 asylum seekers entered Canada in between official border crossings. In previous months, the number of people crossing illegally into Canada from the United States has been steady at around 1,500 each month. The vast majority of those entering the country in April — 2,479 people — arrived in the province of Quebec.
CBC News – Domestic Violence Among Immigrants, Refugees to Be Major Focus for Social Agencies
Front-line domestic violence workers in Calgary’s newcomer and refugee communities say more supports and education for men and improved cultural sensitivity are needed to better to respond to what they say can often be a hidden problem. Education and awareness are improving but communities and organizations say they need to work closer together. “Families that come here have huge language barriers and cultural barriers,” said Rekha Gadhia, manager of family services at Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association and co-chair of the ethno-culturally diverse communities committee.
