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.
Vancouver Sun – Opinion: Why did Canada increase immigration targets?
A couple of prominent members of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet told me that their government’s immigration policies had been “purely in the interest of the party,” which logically means that they were not in the public interest. There is no doubt that the recently announced increases in immigration by Minister of Immigration John McCallum are also purely the interest of the Liberal party.
So how do politicians get away with making immigration policies that advance their own interests at the expense of the general public? The Liberals just showed us how to do it: Appoint a commission of experts with a fancy name like Advisory Council on Economic Growth, staff it with people you know to be in favour of vastly more immigration, publicize the council’s recommendation, and wait for some Libertarians like Terrance Corcoran and Andrew Coyne to support it enthusiastically in the mass media. Then have the Minister of Immigration appear moderate and wise by announcing an increase in immigration by only 15.4 per cent, from 260,000 to 300,000, rather than the 73 per cent to 450,000 recommended by the council.
Radio-Canada – Des milliers de réfugiés syriens attendent toujours l’appel du Canada
Les milliers de réfugiés syriens qui ont vu leur demande acceptée par le Canada et qui attendent de venir s’y installer – tout comme les milliers d’autres dont le dossier est à l’étude – devront s’armer de patience puisque le nombre de réfugiés qu’Ottawa prévoit accueillir au pays au cours de l’année qui vient est beaucoup plus faible qu’en 2016.
Montreal Gazette – In Montreal, Syrian refugees suffer heartbreak for those left behind
Less than a year after arriving in Montreal, Avo Kazanjian, 18, has finished his French classes, is studying architecture at Vanier College and even hosts a radio show every Monday. Believe it or not, he’s also in training to work at Tim Horton’s.
“Don’t call me a refugee,” insists Kazanjian, breathlessly, between his various appointments. “I’m not living in the conditions of a refugee. I’m a future Canadian.”
There’s just one thing missing from the picture — his dad.
Globe and Mail – New report offers glimpse into lives of British Columbia’s Syrian refugees
Nearly one year after they arrived in British Columbia, a new report says three-quarters of government-assisted Syrian refugees are in a language class and most household heads who responded to a survey are actively looking for work – but those who are not yet in language training have endured lengthy waits and two-thirds of those surveyed said they regularly turn to the food bank. This is a catch-all ASF view; only displays when an unsupported article type is put in an ASF drop zone The Immigrant Services Society of B.C. released a report Friday that examined the first year of Operation Syrian Refugee and offered a glimpse into the lives of those who settled in the province. The federal Liberals last year vowed to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015. The newly formed government missed its deadline by a couple of months, but ultimately met its goal. More than 35,000 Syrian refugees – including government-assisted, privately sponsored and blended refugees – have arrived in this country in total since November of last year.
The report said 2,100 government-assisted Syrian refugees had settled in B.C. as of late November. It said 424 privately sponsored and 326 blended Syrian refugees had arrived as of late August, when the most recent data for those two groups was made available.
Globe and Mail – Montreal lawyers urge Ottawa to help asylum-seekers who housed Snowden
A group of Montreal lawyers is urging the Canadian government to help impoverished asylum-seekers in Hong Kong who say they have faced harassment for having housed whistleblower and American fugitive Edward Snowden. The lawyers have launched a Canadian organization named For the Refugees to raise money for the families and to lobby Ottawa to give them sanctuary as they come under pressure in Hong Kong – a jurisdiction known for being tough on asylum-seekers.
Toronto Star – The Torontonian who survived the ship the world rejected
“It’s important, especially in times like these, that people know about the St. Louis,” the Toronto resident says, referring to far-right movements from the U.S. to eastern Europe.
The SS St. Louis, a transatlantic luxury liner, left the port of Hamburg on May 13, 1939 — four months before the onset of war — bound for Havana. On board were some 937 Jewish refugees from Germany and nearby countries — all of them suffering persecution during the prelude to a coming Nazi genocide.
