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.
Torontoist – For Newcomers, the Library is About More than Just Books
For newcomers to Toronto, the library is much more than a place to borrow books—it’s the connection point to job and settlement services, a place to build language skills, and a space to learn about recreational and cultural programs. It’s a community hub. […] Toronto libraries have long offered programs and services to help newcomers settle into their new city. They host ESL classes, resumé-building workshops, and offer books, movies, and newspapers in dozens of languages.
The Globe and Mail – Ottawa to Boost Overseas Visa Staffing to Speed Up Refugee Processing
Staffing will be boosted at Canadian visa offices in Jordan and Lebanon to expedite the processing of Syrian refugee applications. Immigration Minister John McCallum’s office confirmed on Thursday that the government will increase resources at the overseas visa offices as part of its commitment to resettle 10,000 privately sponsored Syrian refugees by the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017.
Toronto Star – Ottawa Should Reverse New Rules on Syrian Refugees
Syrian refugees are no longer treated as a priority for processing, and expedited processing centres set up in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to interview and screen refugees have been closed after only a few months of operation. With less than 24 hours’ notice the government announced last Wednesday that private sponsorship applications had to be received before midnight on March 31 in order to be finalized by the end of 2016 or early 2017.
Edmonton Journal – Joe McMorrow and Catherine Caufield: Canada’s Small Towns can Make Refugees Feel at Home
Why did large numbers of government sponsored Canadian Syrian refugees recently spend weeks isolated in urban hotels awaiting a permanent residence when there were small towns in Canada lining up asking to be allowed to provide them with a welcome, a residence and friendly personal support? The answer lies in a lack of awareness on the part of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada of the valuable “social capital” found in smaller Canadian communities.
CBC – McCallum Sending More Staff to Jordan and Lebanon to Boost Refugee Intake
Additional staff are being sent back to Canadian visa offices in the Middle East for faster processing of Syrian refugees, part of a Liberal promise to bring 10,000 privately sponsored Syrians to Canada by early next year. Sponsorship groups have given Immigration Minister John McCallum and other Liberal MPs an earful in recent weeks after efforts to resettle Syrians were scaled back following the end of the government’s program to get 25,000 to Canada by the end of February.
The Globe and Mail – Work Permit Program for International Students Needs Reform, Experts Say
Canada is unusual among the world’s top destinations for international students in allowing graduates on a work permit to work in any field after they finish their studies. An internal report from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) found that the post-graduation work permit program (PGWP) was creating a poorly paid, underemployed work force among recent international student graduates at colleges and universities.
