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.
National Observer – Europe to Begin Deporting Would-Be Refugees
The European Union (EU) began detaining asylum seekers throughout the continent this week. Overnight, refugee camps—previously termed “reception centres”—have been converted to detention facilities. […] The Union has finalized a deal with Turkey that will ultimately see asylum seekers deported—the official euphemism is “readmitted”—to Turkey. In exchange, Turkey will receive 6 billion euros, or about 9 billion Canadian dollars. As part of the agreement, the EU has also agreed to allow Turkish citizens unimpeded access to EU countries and will accelerate Turkey’s application for EU membership.
McGill International Review – The EU-Turkey Refugee Deal is Impossible (At Best)
To understand why this is, one needs to bear a few facts in mind. The first is the content of the deal itself. In exchange for €6 billion through 2018, entry into the Schengen Treaty and the “acceleration” of talks to accede to the European Union, Turkey will house the so-called “irregular migrants” currently crossing the Aegean to Greece, swapping them for refugees in Turkey on a one-to-one basis. Turkey, in short, becomes the detention area for asylum seekers who attempt to cross into Greece.
CBC – Port Hood Syrian Refugees Supported by Vietnamese Boat People
A family who fled Vietnam more than three decades ago and was welcomed by a small seaside community in Cape Breton is now reaching out to help a group of Syrian refugees settling in the very same village. The Tran family arrived in Port Hood in 1980 and later resettled in Ontario. Fond memories of the support they received in Cape Breton has prompted them to donate $2,000 to Port Hood’s latest refugee effort.
Durham Region – Durham Settlement Workers Strive to Meet Individual Needs of Newcomers
In Durham, the Ajax and Pickering locations are managed through a partnership between Community Development Council Durham, Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre, the public and Catholic district school boards, and the Local Diversity and Immigration Partnership Council, represented by the Region of Durham. “We’re basically a one-stop shop for settlement services and settlement services in this case (encompass) anything a person might need to settle in Durham,” says Kathy Pittman-Feltham, manager of the Pickering centre. That includes English language training, access to accreditation and qualifications information, employment supports and other services based on community needs (such as legal services, mental health services, and culturally-appropriate family counselling).
Toronto Star – Liberals Cap Number of Private Sponsors for Canada’s Syrian Refugee Program
The Liberals have made a series of changes to the Syrian refugee resettlement program, creating confusion among private sponsors about the length of time it’s going to take the newcomers to arrive. Caps on the number of private-sponsor applications for 2016, a significant decrease in the number of overseas staff and the return of a controversial travel loan program are all prompting questions about what happened to the Liberals’ apparent focus on Syrian refugees.
CBC – Windsor’s Low-Cost Housing Attracts Refugees to Windsor
Officials in Windsor do not have the number of refugees who have moved to the city from other regions in the country, but it happens regularly, according to the New Canadian Centre of Excellence. This secondary migration can be a challenge because organizations that support refugees are only funded for the number of people originally sent to those communities, explained Kathleen Thomas, executive director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor-Essex County.
