A national alliance dedicated to providing an evidence base for newcomer settlement & integration and the promotion of welcoming communities in Canada
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.
La Division scolaire de Winnipeg met sur pied une nouvelle unité mobile de spécialistes en éducation pour faciliter l’intégration des élèves réfugiés dans les écoles de la capitale manitobaine. L’unité de sept personnes est composée de trois enseignants, d’un psychologue, d’un travailleur social, d’un orthophoniste et d’un spécialiste de la lecture.
Federal Immigration Minister John McCallum says Calgary could be asked to take in more Syrian refugees given the city’s relative success in resettling people fleeing the war-torn region. McCallum was in the city Thursday for the announcement of $600,000 in funding to the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society from the private sector’s Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees. About 900 Syrian refugees have come to Calgary so far, with most having found a place to live and just over 100 remaining in hotels or the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre.
On February 3, David Manicom, the Director General of Canada’s Immigration Policy Branch, made clear to reporters that Syrian Refugees were being housed quickly. “We have not yet had situation where refugees are staying in hotels more than a couple of weeks,” he said. That’s news to Alaia Hurqos and her daughters, two of whom are blind. They’ve been saying at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Vancouver for more than a month – and they say they’ve only been out of their hotel once.
The government pledged to place Syrian sexual and gender minorities in cities where they can access resources specific to their needs. But, according to Daily Xtra, immigration officials are unsure how many LGBTQ Syrians have arrived in Canada since the process began. “We treat LGBT people among the vulnerable, because they are often subject to very substantial persecution in that part of the world,” Immigration Minister John McCallum said Feb. 3, during an update on Syrian refugee resettlement efforts. The LGBTQ community, along with vulnerable women and families, were among those prioritized by the government.
http://torontoist.com/2016/02/the-canadian-government-must-do-better-with-lgbtq-syrian-refugees/
“Something that’s very important for us is awareness, and (illustrating that) immigration is not a bad thing,” said Elise Edimo, the project officer with the Reseau de soutien a l’immigration francophone Region de l’est de l’Ontario, at an “Ambassadors of Diversity” conference held on Thursday night at the Best Western Parkway Inn in Cornwall. […] Edimo said Reseau de soutien a l’immigration francophone Region de l’est de l’Ontario is hoping the rate of francophone immigration will increase over the next few years, and that it’s vital for enhancing francophone communities in a minority setting.
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2016/02/11/focus-on-francophone-immigration-in-cornwall
Toronto police are being accused of doing the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) immigration dirty work – and violating not only council’s “sanctuary city” policy but the force’s own “don’t ask” policy as well. According to documents released under the Access To Information Act to migrant justice group No One Is Illegal (NOII) in December, Toronto police called CBSA 4,254 times between November 2014 and October 2015 asking for immigration “status checks” on individuals.
https://nowtoronto.com/news/toronto-police-sell-out-sanctuary-city/