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.
Metro News – Church Council Wants Feds to Review Refugee Agreement with U.S.
In light of recent immigration policies in the U.S., 25 members of the Canadian Council of Churches – representing 85 per cent of Christians in the country – expressed concerns over the Safe Third Party Agreement following recent consultations. In effect since 2004, the pact prevents refugees from making asylum applications in either country. “We agreed 10 years ago already that the U.S. wasn’t meeting its obligations on international conventions protecting refugees,” said Peter Noteboom, the council’s deputy general secretary.
Toronto Star – Immigration Fuels Canada’s Population Growth of 1.7 Million in Five Years: Latest Census
The new numbers reveal that Canada’s population grew by 1.7 million people since the last census in 2011. Immigrants accounted for two-thirds of the increase and the so-called natural increase — the difference between births and deaths — accounted for the rest. […] “We know that the geographic distribution of immigrants has changed slightly over the last few years. More are going towards Saskatchewan and Manitoba and less to Ontario and that explains in large part why the population growth in Ontario has decreased.”
The Globe and Mail – British Columbia’s Immigration Limits Hurt Economic Growth: Minister
The B.C. government says Ottawa is stifling the province’s growing technology sector by rejecting demands for a substantial expansion of a program that allows B.C. to nominate new immigrants according to its labour-market needs. British Columbia will be allowed to select 6,000 immigrants in 2017 – the same number it had in 2016 – under the provincial nominee program.
The Independent – [UK] Government Backtracks on Pledge to Take Child Refugees
Hours before the final vote on the triggering of Article 50 the government quietly announced it would allow just 350 unaccompanied Syrian children to come to the UK, thousands short of the figure suggested by government sources last year.
CBC – Storm of Reaction to News Syrian Refugee Charged with Sex Assaults
Reports that a man accused of sexual assaults on six Edmonton teenage girls was a Syrian refugee have ignited a firestorm of reaction, from anti-immigration diatribes to criticism about how the media dealt with the story. Groups that work with refugees in the city have been inundated with calls and texts over the past 24 hours, some from people calling for an end to the refugee program and others from refugees themselves apologizing on behalf of their community.
The Globe and Mail – Manitoba Town to Receive Help in Handling Refugee Influx
Civic officials from a southern Manitoba town inundated with asylum seekers say they’ve been given assurances they’ll get some help from other levels of government as they struggle to ensure their small community remains safe and welcoming. Politicians in Emerson, Man., met with the RCMP, representatives from the federal and provincial governments, and the Canada Border Services Agency on Thursday to address concerns after 22 refugee claimants walked over from the United States on the weekend.
