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 – New Workshops to Ease Loneliness for Immigrant Seniors
A new series of workshops aims to help immigrant seniors across the Lower Mainland combat loneliness and isolation. The workshops, organized by the B.C. Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support, will also empower seniors to express their hopes and feelings. Organizer Lin Chen told The Early Edition that immigrant seniors are more isolated than other seniors.
CBC – Canada to Join with UN, George Soros to Export Private Refugee Sponsorship
Canada is forming a partnership with the United Nations and billionaire George Soros to help other countries implement their own version of Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program. Immigration Minister John McCallum told Rosemary Barton, host of CBC News Network’s Power & Politics, he knows of about 13 countries that are potentially interested in Canada’s model for private refugee sponsorship, adding he has already had talks with the United Kingdom.
The Guardian – Turkey Blocks Syrian Refugees from Resettlement in the US – for Having Degrees
More than 1,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey have been blocked from resettlement in the US and other countries because they have university qualifications. The refugees were approved for resettlement by American officials, before being blocked – sometimes just days before their departure date – by the Turkish authorities.
The Globe and Mail – Migrant Farm Workers Deserve Better from Canada
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, which brings 30,000 labourers annually from Mexico, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to reap and sow our crops. […] SAWP, as its known, is a cornerstone of Canadian food. The Greenhouse Canada website last spring quoted an Ontario greenhouse owner, Anthony Cervini, as saying that SAWP is “the lifeblood of our industry.” […] Farm labourers in Ontario, including SAWP migrants, are exempt from labour laws that govern minimum wage, overtime and rest periods.
CBC – Hopes High but Doubts Abound as World Leaders Convene to Tackle Refugee Crisis
With 21.3 million refugees worldwide, the pressure is on world leaders as they gather for a historic summit on refugees at the United Nations on Monday. The following day, President Obama, and his co-host, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will hold a leaders summit aimed at getting specific commitments.”We’re hoping the Obama summit will put some meat on the bones from the day before from the UN summit, which is going to be a lot of lofty rhetoric but very little concrete,” said Bill Frelick, refugee rights program director at Human Rights Watch.
The Guardian – Why Won’t the World Tackle the Refugee Crisis?
This week’s two major summits in New York, called by the United Nations general assembly and by President Barack Obama, are coming under intense criticism before the first world leaders have even taken their seats.[…] Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and refugee charities are among those accusing both summits of being “toothless” and saying that the declaration expected to be ratified by the UN on Monday imposes no obligations on the 193 general assembly nations to resettle refugees.
