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 – 300,000 Applications as Cape Breton Market Offers ‘Land for Jobs’
In the fall of 2016, Heather Coulombe, the co-owner of the Farmer’s Daughter Country Market in Whycocomagh, Cape Breton, couldn’t figure out how she would keep her business operating. It’s tough to find year-round workers, especially for lower-paying jobs. Their solution: offering to give away parcels of the family land and a job, to anyone willing to move to the community. The incredible response to their land-for-jobs offer has caught the attention of municipal, provincial and federal levels of government.
Toronto Star – Refugees Facing Delays in Working and Supporting Families Due to ‘Pointless’ Mistakes on Work Permits
Unlike the Canadian passport, which lists a person’s last name followed by their first name on two separate lines, the Eritrean passport lists the first name followed by the last on one line. This is leading to work permits being issued with the names in the wrong order — last as first and first as last.
The invalid permits are leaving refugees unable to provide for their families.
Global News – RCMP Intercepted Over 20,000 Asylum Seekers in 2017
On Friday, Citizenship and Immigration Canada released its tally for the number of interceptions in December – which came in at 1,978— finally allowing the department to then add up the overall total for the entire year. It’s unclear how many of the people who crossed illegally have subsequently received approval to make an asylum claim.
Metro News – Abdoul Abdi Calls Attempts to Deport Him from Canada to Somalia the ‘Greatest Injustice’
Former Somali child refugee Abdoul Abdi said Friday he’s fearful of being deported to a country he has no connection to, for reasons that are largely not of his own making. Abdi, who never got Canadian citizenship while growing up in foster care in Nova Scotia, was held by the Canada Border Services Agency after spending five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Abdi said he has paid for his mistakes.
National Post – Electronically Monitoring Migrants Treats Them Like Criminals
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently announced its intention to remotely monitor migrants via electronic ankle bracelets as an alternative to detaining them. Since it’s 24/7 surveillance, the “tagged” migrant can be potentially re-arrested at any time. A pilot tagging program is slated for Toronto as early as April. A tender has been issued for a private partner to implement it.
Toronto Star – Canada’s Refugee Board Abruptly Changes Its Scheduling System Amid Surging Backlog
Thousands of refugee hearings that had been scheduled for this year have been abruptly cancelled so officials can roll out a “first-in, first-out” scheduling system amid a growing backlog. In a form letter, the Immigration and Refugee Board told recent asylum-seekers that they should expect their cases to be heard in between 12 and 24 months as the board prioritizes hearings based on the date they are referred by immigration and border enforcement officers, affecting both those who cross the land border and those who arrive by air.
