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.
Global News – Governor General Praises Canada’s Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis
Governor General David Johnston said Canada’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis has been overwhelmingly positive, calling it an example of the power of widespread collaboration. Various stakeholders – from governments and religious organizations to large corporations and even individuals – have come together to help get 25,000 Syrians into Canada by the end of February, Johnston told The West Block’s Tom Clark, likening the process to an age-old tradition in agricultural communities.
The Windsor Star – International Students Boost Windsor Region’s Schools, Economy
Educating international students has become one of Windsor’s major areas of growth, a trend with short-term and long-term payoffs that some see as an area of untapped economic potential. At the University of Windsor 3,015 foreign students from 90 countries make up 20 per cent of the population on campus and pay an equal proportion of the school’s operating budget. It ranks among the most diverse universities in Ontario, where on average 11 per cent of the student population is from abroad.
CBC – Alan Kurdi’s Family Opens Hair Salon in Canada
The family that has become the face of the Syrian refugee crisis has hit another milestone — Tima Kurdi and her brother Mohammad, who just arrived in Canada, have opened a hair salon in Port Coquitlam, B.C. On Dec. 28, Mohammad Kurdi, his wife and five children arrived at Vancouver International Airport to be welcomed by Tima and four other people, who each put up $5,000 to sponsor the family in Canada.
CBC – Tensions Linger for Hong Kong Immigrants 2 Decades After Mass Immigration
In the late 1980s and early 90s, the special administrative region of Hong Kong was the largest source of overseas immigrants to B.C. At the peak in 1994, 48,000 people moved to Canada, with 16,000 choosing to settle in B.C. The pace of change that came with this wave of immigration was a source of anxiety for many people, not just the new immigrants. […] It’s a debate that some say is being rehashed today, with accusations that foreign buyers are driving up property prices in the Lower Mainland. The 2015 version of the debate is just as destructive.
Times Colonist – At Dawn of 2016, Refugee, Migrant Flows into Europe Look Set to Continue, Response Patchy
More than a million people reached Europe in 2015 in the continent’s largest refugee influx since the end of World War II — a crisis that has tested European unity and threatened the vision of a borderless continent. Nearly 3,800 people are estimated to have drowned in the Mediterranean last year, making the journey to Greece or Italy in unseaworthy vessels packed far beyond capacity.
The Record – How Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis Went from 10,000 in Three Years to 10,000 in Three Months
When the Conservative government promised, in January 2015, to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees over three years, Liberal MP John McCallum didn’t buy it. The Conservatives were under pressure to address the ongoing refugee crisis created by the Syrian civil war — millions of people were on the move and refugee settlements were bursting at the seams.
