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 Presse – Plus de 276 000 migrants irréguliers entrés dans l’UE en 2014
Sur ce total, 207 000 sont entrés en «franchissant la Méditerranée dans l’irrégularité», a précisé le commissaire, lors d’un débat au Parlement européen sur les drames récents des cargos chargés de centaines de migrants en détresse au large de l’Italie. Depuis septembre, plus de 12 de ces cargos sont arrivés en Europe», ce qui montre que «les trafiquants trouvent de nouvelles routes, et emploient de nouvelles méthodes», a relevé le commissaire. Et ce alors que «les conflits dans notre voisinage génèrent un afflux constant de réfugiés en Europe» qui va «continuer si une action décisive et coordonnée de l’UE n’est pas prise»,a-t-il mis en garde. L’UE doit notamment intensifier sa lutte contre le trafic, en renforçant ses mécanismes de collecte et échanges d’informations sur les activités des trafiquants, et en rendant «ses instruments légaux plus efficaces», a-t-il prôné. «Nous sommes aussi en contact étroit avec les autorités turques pour adapter rapidement notre stratégie, étant donné que la Turquie est devenue l’une des routes alternatives pour les trafiquants», a-t-il relevé.
London Community News – Ontario Trillium Foundation Announces Grant to Local Workforce Planning and Development Board
On Friday (Jan. 9), representatives from the organization and London North Centre MPP Deb Matthews were on hand at Covent Garden Market to announce a grant of $96,100 to the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board. Working in conjunction with the local immigration partnerships in Elgin/St. Thomas, London/Middlesex and Oxford as well as Rogers TV in London, Middlesex, St. Thomas and Woodstock, the money is being used to create a series of television shows aimed to highlight the various services available for new immigrants to the area and opportunities in employment. Mirroring a similar pilot project run last year called We Are London, there will be six shows created for each area and tailored to reflect those particular communities said Workforce Planning and Development executive director, Deb Mountenay.
Washington Post – States Passed 171 Immigration Laws Last Year
Nearly every state in the nation passed at least one immigration law last year, but legislative activity on the issue was actually slower across state capitals than the year before. Last year, 43 state legislatures and D.C. enacted 171 immigration laws and 117 resolutions. That’s a 7.5 percent decline from 2013, when states passed 185 laws, according to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. The decline in state legislative activity in 2014 can be partly explained by four state legislatures being out of session, according to NCSL. For example, Texas, which passed 101 laws and resolutions in 2013, did not hold a regular session. Montana, North Dakota and Nevada also held no regular session last year, while Maine, North Carolina and Vermont enacted no immigration legislation. […] California was the most active state last year. Its 26 laws banned denial of licenses based on immigration status and required that some classes for immigration children teach the importance of civic engagement. The state also passed 28 resolutions, calling on Congress to enact a number of policies.
Toronto Star – Chris Alexander Helped Bureaucrats Avoid Giving Full Details on Visa Wait Times
Newly released documents suggest the office of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander intervened to save bureaucrats from answering part of a formal question from an NPD MP about wait times for visa applications. NDP immigration critic Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe submitted an order paper question, which is like an access-to-information request for MPs, about the budget and processing times for applications for temporary and permanent residents. The department provided information in response to some parts of the question — mostly by linking to details already available on its website — but said they would not be able to break down wait times for applications by fiscal year and processing centre. […] Documents released in response to an access-to-information request filed by the NDP suggest that answer came after Alexander’s office weighed in.
Globe and Mail – Ottawa to Limit Number of Foreign Youth Working in Canada
The Conservative government is preparing to make deep cuts to youth labour agreements with its international allies, a move that would scale back the largest source of temporary foreign workers in Canada. The Globe and Mail has obtained documents outlining cabinet-level discussions between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander that contemplate major reductions to International Experience Canada, which manages youth mobility agreements. The documents show the government has decided to delay the reform until 2016 as it encourages more young Canadians to take up opportunities to work abroad. […] Ottawa has reciprocal agreements with 32 countries, but is concerned that Canada accepts far more young workers each year than the number of young Canadians accepted by partner countries. A Dec. 12 document reveals that Mr. Harper decided partner nations should be warned that quotas will be “reduced significantly” for 2016 unless they take steps to accept more Canadians.
La Presse – Visas et Ebola: Ottawa a accordé six exceptions
Six personnes en provenance de pays où sévit le virus d’Ebola ont pu obtenir un visa pour le Canada, malgré les restrictions imposées en ce sens par le gouvernement Harper. Le gouvernement fédéral n’a pas voulu donner de détails au sujet de ces six personnes au nom de la protection des renseignements personnels. Il ne semble toutefois pas que ces personnes aient voyagé ensemble. En vertu des règles actuellement en vigueur, chacune a dû subir un test de dépistage de l’Ebola, un virus hautement contagieux, avant de quitter l’Afrique de l’Ouest et une seconde fois à l’arrivée au Canada, en plus de surveiller son état de santé pendant une période de 21 jours. Joint par courriel, le porte-parole de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada, Patrick Gaebel, a assuré qu’il n’y avait aucun cas d’Ebola rapporté au Canada. Il a ajouté que si un cas venait à se présenter, les autorités veilleraient à en aviser rapidement tous les Canadiens. En octobre dernier, le gouvernement fédéral avait fait savoir qu’il n’accorderait plus de visas aux gens en provenance de la Guinée, de la Sierra Leone et du Liberia.
