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 – Everyday Hero: Giving Refugees a Healthy Start in Canada
Going for a yearly check-up at the doctor’s office is something many Canadians take for granted. But for refugees, it may be one of the first times receiving quality medical care since fleeing in their home countries. Dr. Annalee Coakley and 11 other doctors deliver it at the Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic in Calgary, saying the need is great. “They often come to Canada with complex medical problems,” Coakley told Global News. With the help of translators, social workers and other staff, they are the first point of healthcare contact for hundreds of patients who are new to this country. […] In 2012, Canada scaled back funding to refugee health services. While most still had access to basic health care, it prompted patients and physicians to take the government to court. A Federal Court ruling last July ordered the government to restore some of the additional benefits, but the government is still appealing the decision. In the meantime, many refugees still don’t have essential prescription drug or optical coverage. […] Every doctor at the clinic now donates their own money to a $20,000 dollar fund to cover those costs if patients can’t pay.
Inside Halton – Government Studies Immigrant Incomes by Where They Came From
Immigrants from China, South Korea and Taiwan have among the lowest incomes in Canada but few of them use social assistance, according to an internal government study. Based on the 2011 National Household Survey data, Citizenship and Immigration Canada examined the incomes of immigrants from 52 countries, accounting for 86 per cent of the overall immigrant population, to measure which were more likely to have lower incomes. […] “Those with better language skills and already with jobs here can assure economic success,” said immigration policy analyst Richard Kurland, who obtained the data through a freedom of information request. […] However, critics doubt the reliability of the data from the national survey, which, unlike the old mandatory long-form census, can skew the results if respondents don’t bother to answer the optional questionnaire. Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Ontario Council for Agencies Serving Immigrants, said other challenges such as minority ethnicity, race and religion also affect immigrants’ job prospects.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – Célébrer la Journée internationale de la Francophonie
Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, célèbre aujourd’hui la Journée internationale de la Francophonie. Le Canada est la destination de choix de nombreux francophones de partout dans le monde. La population du Québec est majoritairement francophone et la province accueille de nombreux immigrants francophones chaque année, mais la francophonie canadienne est aussi florissante d’un océan à l’autre. Le gouvernement du Canada est toujours résolu à maintenir la vitalité et la diversité des communautés francophones à l’extérieur du Québec grâce à l’immigration. Lancé le 1er janvier 2015, le système Entrée express permettra de faire venir au Canada des travailleurs qualifiés, parmi lesquels des francophones, et de leur offrir la résidence permanente plus rapidement que jamais auparavant.
Radio-Canada – 3500 ressortissants craignent d’être déportés du Canada
Une dizaine de ressortissants haïtiens et zimbabwéens ont manifesté leurs craintes, vendredi, quant à la possibilité d’être déportés vers leurs pays d’origine. Une situation qui touche environ 3500 personnes au Canada. Les Haïtiens et les Zimbabwéens qui se sont massés devant le complexe Guy-Favreau à Montréal sont inquiets. Accueillis au milieu des années 2000 pour des raisons humanitaires, ils ont peur d’être renvoyés du Canada depuis qu’Ottawa a mis fin au moratoire sur les déportations, en décembre dernier. Dans un communiqué, le ministère de l’Immigration du Canada soutient que « les conditions en Haïti et au Zimbabwe se sont améliorées et que le gouvernement du Canada considère qu’il n’y a plus de risque généralisé pour l’ensemble de la population ». Le gouvernement fédéral exige donc que ces 3500 ressortissants passent à travers tout le processus d’immigration. Sinon, ils risquent d’être déportés.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – Le ministre du Multiculturalisme organise des tables rondes avec des Canadiens d’origine iraquienne
Plus tôt, aujourd’hui, l’honorable Jason Kenney, ministre du Multiculturalisme, a organisé des tables rondes avec des organismes de la communauté iraquienne pour discuter des contributions du Canada dans le cadre de la lutte mondiale contre le groupe terroriste État islamique en Iraq et au Levant (EIIL) et pour connaître l’opinion des membres de ces organismes communautaires en ce qui concerne la menace posée par ce groupe ici, au Canada, et dans leur pays d’origine. Le ministre a rencontré des responsables de la communauté assyrienne du Canada, l’une des communautés chrétiennes les plus anciennes du monde, qui a fait l’objet de persécutions extrêmes et de nombreux déplacements, notamment en raison de l’EIIL.
Epoch Times – Many New Immigrants Opting for Prairie Provinces Over Toronto
Canada’s immigration patterns have radically altered in recent years, with western provinces—particularly the Prairies—overtaking Toronto as the primary destination for new immigrants. Statistics Canada reports this week that compared to 2000 levels, the number of new immigrants settling in Canada’s largest city has fallen, with more new arrivals opting for destinations such as Manitoba and Saskatchewan. […] In the 2000s, Toronto was the destination for half of all new immigrants to Canada, but according to recent figures, 33 percent of new arrivals are forsaking Toronto for other destinations. Statistics Canada suggested that the change coincides with a shift in provincial programs. […] The agency said immigration programs accounted for nearly all the increase in the share of new immigrants settling in Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, as well as for an increase in smaller locations in Alberta outside of Calgary and Edmonton. […] “There have been two changes: one is that people are moving outside of the large centres to smaller communities, and definitely western provinces are getting more immigrants in recent years, possibly because of labour market conditions,” said Victoria Esses, director of the Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations at the University of Western Ontario.
