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 – Quebec Private Refugee Sponsorship Applications on Hold Until Next Summer
Quebec residents won’t be able to apply to sponsor a refugee until at least next summer, under a decision confirmed Thursday by the provincial government. The program was originally suspended last January due to delays in processing the cases. At the time, more than 10,000 applications had been accepted by the province and were awaiting approval from the federal government.
Le Devoir – Les parrainages privés de réfugiés sont suspendus jusqu’au 30 juin
Suspendu depuis un an, le programme de parrainage privé de réfugiés ne reprendra pas en janvier 2018, a appris Le Devoir. Le gouvernement du Québec prolongera le moratoire jusqu’au 30 juin afin d’avoir le temps d’effectuer la refonte du programme. Il songe également à augmenter la reddition de comptes des groupes qui parrainent et à limiter le nombre de dossiers […].
Toronto Star – Fewer Asylum Seekers Entering Canada Are Being Granted Refugee Status as Case Backlogs Increase
As of the end of November, the Immigration and Refugee Board says 16,522 asylum claims were received from people who’ve crossed the border illegally and 2,198 of those have been completed. Of those finalized cases, updated data show 54 per cent were accepted — down from 60 per cent when the board last reported the data. Only eight per cent of Haitians — who make up the majority of claims — have been accepted, down from 10 per cent.
Le Figaro – Lois immigration : le gouvernement acte un premier recul
Contrairement à ce qui avait été annoncé, la future loi sur l’immigration ne permettra pas de renvoyer un demandeur d’asile vers un «pays tiers sûr», soit un pays dans lequel il a transité avant son arrivée en France. Même si elle n’a pas encore été présentée devant le Conseil des ministres, la loi sur l’immigration fait déjà parler d’elle. Une circulaire du 12 décembre signée par Gérard Collomb sur le recensement des migrants a notamment semé l’inquiétude des associations jusque dans les rangs de la majorité.
Toronto Star – Syrian Women’s Group Fends Off Trauma of War Through Therapy
Inside the cozy basement of the Arab Community Centre of Toronto, a small group of women get together for tea, snacks and conversation. They also get a rare opportunity to speak openly about their feelings and the trauma suffered from the civil war in their homeland that has left hundreds of thousands dead in almost seven years. During the sessions, a therapist offers counselling, and the women can take part in yoga as well as learn more about wellness, from eating healthy to engaging in self-care.
Globe and Mail – Illegal Border Crossings Continued to Decline in November
A decision by the Trump administration to yank protected status for thousands of Haitians doesn’t appear to have prompted a new surge of asylum seekers at the Canada-U.S. border. Data published Tuesday show the RCMP stopped 1,623 people in November, down from 1,890 in October. Still, while the number of border crossers is down, the number of people stopped in just those two months is more than the RCMP stopped in all of 2016, suggesting a major outreach effort by the Liberals hasn’t entirely stemmed the tide.
