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 – Foreign Students Claim They Were Misled About Chances of Staying in Canada
Dozens of foreign students claim they were misled about the chance to extend their stays in Canada, and are now struggling with looming deadlines for when they could be forced to leave the country.
Migrante Alberta, an immigrant advocacy group, says about 80 students enrolled at a private college in Edmonton over the past two years, thinking they could apply for a post-graduate work permit after completing a two-year diploma. But private institutions are largely ineligible for the federal program. The students say that immigration consultants have deliberately misled them, that the school itself has not been upfront, and the federal government website for the program was unclear.
Radio-Canada – Réfugiés yézidis au Canada en 2017 : la cible de 1200 personnes serait en voie d’être atteinte
En février dernier, le gouvernement canadien annonçait que, d’ici la fin de 2017, le pays accueillerait 1200 réfugiés yézidis qui ont survécu aux exactions du groupe armé État islamique. Il semble que cette promesse soit sur le point de se réaliser.
Global News – Honduran Man Denied Refugee Status After Failing to Convince Immigration Officials He’s Gay
A Honduran man who was scheduled to be deported on Tuesday after failing to convince Canadian immigration officials to grant him refugee status on the basis of his sexuality had his order halted on Wednesday. Josue Elvir arrived in Toronto four years ago on a visa and applied for refugee status, arguing that his life is under threat in Honduras because he is gay. But his application was denied in 2016 after the Refugee Protection Division ruled that he was not gay.
CBC News – Detaining Children in Immigration Centres to Face Tougher Rules
The federal government is imposing stricter limits, but no all-out ban, on the detention of minors in immigration holding centres. The ministerial direction strengthens language to say the best interests of the child must be given “primary consideration,” rather than just being a factor in any decision. It also ensures the welfare of the child is considered before any decision is made on the parents’ detention.
Alternatives to detention will be “actively and continuously” sought when unconditional release is inappropriate, according to a news release from Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s office.
CBC News – Toronto Could Welcome Almost 170,000 Immigrants Over the Next 3 Years — Are We Ready?
On the heels of the Liberal government’s newly-announced strategy to boost immigration levels in the years ahead, Toronto immigration experts are raising questions about whether there is adequate support for the rising tide of economic migrants, family reunifications and refugees, in a city where both stable work and housing can be hard to find. “The rate of unemployment for racialized immigrant women is very, very high,” says Catherine McNeely, the executive director of Newcomer Women’s Services, a non-profit settlement organization. The latest census data shows more than 55 per cent of visible minority residents in Toronto are living on less than $30,000 a year, she adds.
CBC News – Funding Uncertainty Could Stall LGBT Refugee Resettlement, Advocates Say
The Liberal government says it’s committed to bringing more LGBT refugees to Canada, but advocates say funding uncertainty, lengthy processing and lack of specialized training for visa officers are threatening resettlement efforts. Next year, Canada will bring in about 43,000 refugees, among them lesbian, gay, transgender and other people facing persecution based on sexual orientation. Sharalyn Jordan, chair of the B.C-based Rainbow Refugee, said lives are at risk in nearly 80 countries which outlaw certain sexual orientation.
