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.
Toronto Star – Ottawa Must Keep Private Sponsorship of Syrian Refugees a Priority: Opinion
By the end of March, 2016, the government’s deadline for applications, there were 12,400 Syrian refugees on the private sponsorship wait list. John McCallum, then minister of immigration, promised to clear up this backlog by the end of 2016 or early in 2017. What has happened since then? The numbers supplied by the government are ambiguous and confusing, especially since the Immigration department ceased publishing weekly updates last November. But from what has been made public, we calculate that there are still at least 5,000 privately sponsored Syrian refugees waiting to get to Canada.
CBC – John Tory Seeks Federal Help as More Refugees Wind Up in City Shelters
Toronto Mayor John Tory is asking the federal government for funding to help refugees struggling with the “hard landing” of losing government support, and he wants some of that money to go to city shelters that are now dealing with an influx of newcomers. At least 810 refugees relied on city shelters this January — an 80 per cent increase over the same month last year, according to the city’s shelter administration. Tory, in a letter sent to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen this week, said that’s putting pressure on an already-strained system.
CBC – Officials Confirm Rise in Asylum Seekers Crossing Illegally into Canada, but RCMP Lay No Charges
Government officials, who spoke on background and did not wish to be named, provided journalists with an update on illegal crossings today and confirmed an increase in three provinces. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 21 this year, there were 290 illegal crossings in Quebec, 94 in Manitoba and 51 in British Columbia, totalling 435. That compares with 2,464 illegal entries apprehended by the RCMP in the same regions in all of 2016.
Reuters Canada – Hungary Builds New High-Tech Border Fence – with Few Migrants in Sight
A daunting new barrier is beginning to loom over Hungary’s southern border, capable of delivering electric shocks to unwanted migrants and armed with heat sensors, cameras, and loudspeakers that blare in several languages. The country was a main crossing point for hundreds of thousands of people trekking into Europe at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015. A hastily-erected first razorwire fence and tough new laws have cut arrivals to a trickle, but Budapest is not taking any chances.
New York Times – Canada’s Immigration System, Lauded by Trump, is More Complex than Advertised
Canada’s merit-based immigration system received a loving mention by President Trump this week in his speech to Congress. Mr. Trump, who has railed against illegal immigration and talked tough about tightening borders, said adopting that kind of system would cost American taxpayers less and help increase wages for poor workers.
Le Devoir – Les Etats-Unis n’ont rien à envier au Canada en matière d’immigration économique
Donald Trump rêve d’une immigration à la canadienne, qui sélectionne des travailleurs qualifiés, a-t-il dit mardi devant le Congrès américain. Vraiment ? C’est bien mal connaître son propre système. Car non seulement les États-Unis possèdent-ils déjà un système très performant qui intègre bien les immigrants dits économiques, mais il serait l’un des meilleurs.
