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.
Montreal Gazette – Sponsors Face the Challenges of Settling Syrian Refugees
In Montreal, the contrast is stark. By Feb 21, 2,879 privately sponsored refugees had arrived in the city, compared to only 58 government-assisted refugees (GARs). Quebec on the whole received 709 GARs, compared to about 7,000 in Ontario, and 2,000 in British Columbia. Within Quebec, Montreal received far fewer than smaller cities like Gatineau, Sherbrooke or Quebec City. Jonathan Lavallée, a spokesperson for the provincial immigration department, says Quebec’s plan was to spread the GARs out among 13 destination cities in the province.
Metro News – Liberals’ Bill C-24 Changes Welcome News to Future Canadian Citizens
The proposed changes — expected to take effect sometime this year — will provide greater flexibility for applicants trying to meet requirements for citizenship, Immigration Minister John McCallum said. Permanent residents would be required to be in Canada for three years, down from four, before applying. They would get credit for time spent on student or work visas prior to becoming permanent residents, a practice the Conservatives nixed. The age range for language and citizenship knowledge exams would also be amended, exempting those younger than 18 or older than 54.
Metro News – Scarborough Clinic Needs “Any Help We Can Get” to Treat Refugees
Local healthcare providers are facing unfamiliar challenges in treating Syrian refugees — and at least one is calling on the Canadian government to make more resources available. “We need any help we can get,” said Paul Caulford, lead physician at the Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Healthcare.
The Guardian – Europe Braces for Major “Humanitarian Crisis” in Greece After Row Over Refugees
European governments are bracing for a major humanitarian emergency in Greece amid rising panic that the EU’s fragmented efforts to cope with its migration crisis are nearing breakdown. EU interior ministers met in Brussels on Thursday in their latest attempt to forge a common response, but the meeting was clouded by a ferocious row between Greece and Austria, which is spearheading a campaign to quarantine Greece and throttle the flow of migrants up the Balkans by partially sealing the Greek border with Macedonia.
Reuters Canada – Europe’s Free Travel will End Unless Turkey Halts Migrant Flow, Officials Say
Europe’s cherished free-travel zone will shut down unless Turkey acts to cut the number of migrants heading north through Greece by March 7, European Union officials said on Thursday. Their declaration came as confrontations grow increasingly rancorous among European countries trying to cope with the influx of refugees.
La Presse – France : la « jungle » de Calais pourra être partiellement évacuée
L’ordre d’évacuer une partie de la «jungle» de Calais (nord) prononcée par les autorités locales, et contesté par des migrants et des associations, a été validé jeudi par la justice, a-t-on appris de source proche des autorités locales. «Tout est validé», a précisé cette source interrogée par l’AFP.
