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.
Acadie nouvelle – La situation migratoire inquiète les communautés francophones
Des défenseurs de la Francophonie dénoncent les lacunes des programmes d’immigration actuels. Ils demandent au gouvernement fédéral d’accentuer ses efforts pour corriger le déséquilibre démographique. Marie-France Kenny, présidente de la Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA), déplore la situation actuelle. «On ne peut pas continuer à accueillir moins de 2 % d’immigrants francophones par année à l’extérieur du Québec comme on le fait depuis des années; si on poursuit sur cette voie, on se dirige vers un désastre démographique pour la francophonie.» Anne-Marie Day, députée NPD porte-parole pour la Francophonie, a demandé au gouvernement de respecter ses engagements, lors d’une question à la Chambre des communes le 1er mai. «C’est très inquiétant. Le gouvernement a coupé les ressources des organismes en milieu minoritaire» alerte l’élue de Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles. «Plusieurs témoins nous ont dit au Comité sur les langues officielles qu’ils n’avaient plus les moyens de recruter des immigrants francophones dans leur province.» Le 30 septembre 2014, le gouvernement fédéral a aboli le programme Avantage significatif francophone, qui visait à simplifier l’immigration temporaire de professionnels francophones à l’extérieur du Québec.
Yahoo News – A Look at Where the 2016 [U.S.] Hopefuls Stand on Immigration
With Republicans in Congress unable to agree on an answer, President Barack Obama has taken executive action to limit deportations. All Republicans running for president oppose that step. But they’re squeezed between big donors, who largely favor liberalization of immigration policy, and many primary voters, who don’t. […] Clinton came out fully in favor of a path to eventual citizenship for most people here illegally. The Democratic candidate also pledged to expand Obama’s executive actions if Congress does not move on an immigration overhaul. […] Jeb Bush: The former Florida governor has endorsed a path to permanent legal status, short of citizenship, for people here illegally, but he has left the door open for the possibility of eventual citizenship. […] Chris Christie: The New Jersey governor once embraced letting people who are in the country illegally stay, then he became quiet about the subject. Recently, he’s hinted at backing some sort of legal status, saying the question of citizenship is a distraction, there’s no way to deport 11 million people and most are here to work.
Sackville Tribune-Post – Student Entrepreneurship Pilot Project Launched
A three-year pilot project designed to help international students who wish to start businesses in New Brunswick was launched today. The Student Entrepreneurship Pilot Project will help graduates from the J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) apply for permanent residence in Canada through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program. “This pilot project will help retain highly-skilled post-graduate international student entrepreneurs who will live in New Brunswick and contribute to the local economy,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Francine Landry. “We are pleased to support such innovative initiatives that will help to stimulate economic growth, contribute to increasing cultural diversity and help make our province the best place to raise a family.” […] Applicants to the Student Entrepreneurship Pilot Project must meet specific requirements which include: investing a minimum of $10,000 in a new business, having an active management role in the company, and committing to not selling the business for at least three years after receiving permanent residency in Canada.
iPolitics – Blaney to Get Power to Revoke Passports Under New Budget Bill
The government tabled its budget implementation legislation Thursday afternoon and in it are several significant changes to the way security is handled on the Hill — and to the process for deciding when to revoke the passport of a suspected extremist. Under the new Prevention of Terrorist Travel Act, proposed in the budget bill, the minister deemed responsible by the governor in council — likely Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and/or Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander — would be able to make the decision on whether to revoke or refuse a passport to someone suspected of plotting to commit a terrorist act in Canada or abroad. Right now, that power resides with Passport Canada, while final authority rests with the Citizenship and Immigration minister. “The whole measure for revocation of a passport is a preventative measure, not a punitive measure,” Blaney said in a press conference announcing the change Thursday afternoon. “We have to have this tool to revoke passports in order to see to it that the Canadian passport is not a tool for terrorist actions.”
Reuters Canada – Australia to Send Small Refugee Group to Cambodia “Very Shortly”: Minister
Australia wants to transfer a small group of refugees from one of its offshore detention centers to Cambodia shortly and encourage other asylum seekers to take the same route themselves, its immigration minister said on Wednesday. Canberra has been widely criticized for a tough immigration policy under which asylum seekers have been sent to camps in impoverished Papua New Guinea and the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, where they face long periods of detention. […] Australia has turned back boatloads of illegal Sri Lankan migrants while dispatching some would-be asylum seekers to offshore detention centers in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Last year, Conservative Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and then-Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa struck a deal allowing Australian naval ships to send asylum seekers intercepted at sea directly back to Sri Lanka.
Le Droit – Entrée express: à peine 2% des immigrants inscrits sont francophones
Présenté par le fédéral comme la solution pour accroître l’immigration francophone hors Québec, le portail Entrée express ne semble pas les attirer en grand nombre, pour le moment. À peine 200 des 22000 personnes inscrites au nouveau portail électronique seraient francophones, ce qui est loin de remplir les attentes, déplore la députée néo-démocrate de Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Anne-Marie Day. Depuis janvier 2015, le gouvernement fédéral utilise le nouveau système électronique Entrée express pour gérer les demandes de résidence permanente présentées pour certains programmes d’immigration économique. Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration, Chris Alexander, l’avait présenté comme une solution pour augmenter le nombre d’immigrants francophones hors Québec. «Pourtant, sur plus de 22000 personnes inscrites dans le bassin de recrutement, seulement 200 sont francophones», a déploré Mme Day lors d’une intervention à la Chambre des communes. Cette dernière a rappelé que, selon les derniers chiffres, à peine 2% de la population immigrante hors Québec déclare le français comme première langue officielle parlée.
