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 – Americans Revoking Travel Visas from Visitors Who Plan to Claim Asylum in Canada
American authorities say an ongoing operation along their northern border has led them to revoke U.S.-issued travel visas for thousands of people, most of whom were headed to Canada to claim asylum. Some, according to a U.S. State Department report, are associated with terrorist groups. The revocations happened as part of what’s called Operation Northern Watch, which focuses on criminal activity such as visa fraud, human smuggling and terrorist threats at the Canada-U.S. border.
Le Devoir – Les immigrantes victimes de violence ont besoin d’interprètes
Devant la hausse de leur clientèle immigrante, des organismes pour femmes victimes de violences ou d’agressions sexuelles crient au manque de fonds pour embaucher des interprètes. Au bout du rouleau, ils exhortent le gouvernement du Québec à financer un service d’interprétariat gratuit, une demande récurrente laissée sans réponse depuis plusieurs années. « On reçoit des femmes en grande vulnérabilité. Si on n’est pas capables de trouver quelqu’un pour leur parler dans leur langue […].
CTV News – Syrian Refugee Thanks Canada for ‘Amazing’ Two Years
Two “amazing” years have passed since Syrian refugee Najeeb Al Masri and his family arrived in Canada from Turkey. The engineering student spoke with CTV News Channel Sunday about the challenges of adjusting to life in Toronto, where he landed with his family in December 2015. Al Masri, who’s studying computer engineering, shared what the toughest adjustments have been, such as learning to read a book from left to right instead of right to left, and those nasty Canadian winters.
CBC News – Syrian Refugee’s Claim That Ontario Road Test Wait-Time Is Discriminatory Gathers Steam
In Ontario, drivers who have their G2 licences have to wait one year before they can test for their G licence. The Ministry of Transportation provides an exemption to the waiting period for previous driving experience outside of Canada, but only if an applicant provides an original letter of authentication attesting to their experience. And it’s that requirement that has one Syrian refugee taking his case to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal — now with the help of the International Human Rights Program (IHRP).
Toronto Star – Journalist Refugee Launches Canada’s First Syrian Newspaper
Kameel Nasrawi, a refugee from Syria, came to Canada with his wife of more than 10 years, Arij, and two young children in January 2016. He was a journalist and an award-winning screenplay writer in Damascus. As he took English language lessons, he quickly noted how every ethnic community in Canada had its own newspaper. He and his wife have started a newspaper called “The Migrant” written in both Arabic and English.
Toronto Star – Quebec Uses Classic Films to Project History, Culture for Immigrants
Film industry group Cinema Québec and Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec, the provincially run library and archives, are showing six films this fall and winter dealing with issues as varied as Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Maurice Richard, the imposition of the War Measures Act in Quebec in 1970, and the place of the Catholic Church in province. The goal is to instruct the language while introducing newcomers to the province’s distinct culture and history.
