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.
Leader Post – Aboriginal, International Student Numbers Soaring at U of R
The University of Regina is taking pride in rapid growth in two categories of students over the last five years. The number of self-declared aboriginal students has risen by almost 50 per cent since 2009, reaching more than 11 per cent of the student population — a record for the U of R. Rising even faster has been the number of international students, which has increased by more than 96 per cent over the same period. […] How many international students are at the U of R? 1,816 international students from 90 countries in graduate and undergraduate programs. The three biggest sources of students are China, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, spokeswoman Natalie Tomczak says. Another interesting number: Foreign or international students make up about 31 per cent of the U of R’s graduate student population.
Georgia Straight – B.C. Physicians Aim to Improve Tuberculosis Testing for Immigrants
Immigrants are more likely to get sick with TB than others. In recent years, they’ve accounted for two-thirds of active cases in the country. That’s why health researchers in B.C. and other provinces are looking for ways to enhance detection of newcomers in danger of becoming ill with the sometimes fatal disease that typically affects the lungs. “What we’re trying to do is figure out who would be the most high-risk populations and high-yield populations to screen,” Dr. James Johnston told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. Johnston is a TB physician with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. He is leading a team of health experts who are studying ways to improve testing of foreign-born residents in the province. People with active TB infection aren’t allowed into Canada. They have to get well before they’re given a visa. Immigration applicants with a history of treated TB, or whose chest X-ray shows abnormalities, can come in but are placed under medical surveillance. “The problem is, that process only highlights about two percent of people who arrive to Canada,” Johnston said. Medical tests prior to departure aren’t designed to detect the disease in its latent form, which could develop into active TB later on.
Radio-Canada – Des jeunes et des immigrants férus des affaires en Outaouais
Alors que l’Outaouais est en retard sur d’autres régions du Québec en matière de diversification économique et d’innovation, elle peut se targuer d’avoir des jeunes et des immigrants particulièrement actifs dans le monde des affaires. Lizethe Rodriguez a quitté le Mexique pour venir s’installer au Québec en février 2011, avant d’emménager à Gatineau environ un an plus tard. Elle est aujourd’hui propriétaire d’Orange Marine, une firme de consultation en marketing social. « Je suis beaucoup dans le développement communautaire », explique-t-elle dans un français soutenu. « J’organise toutes sortes d’activités de rapprochement interculturel, qui vont apporter, finalement, un avantage et un bénéfice pour la collectivité. » Mme Rodriguez a notamment aidé à l’organisation du Rendez-vous avec les entrepreneurs multiculturels de Gatineau-Ottawa et d’activités à vocation écologique. Titulaire d’un diplôme d’études de deuxième cycle en administration des affaires (MBA) de l’Université du Mexique, Mme Rodriguez caressait le rêve de fonder sa propre entreprise avant de quitter son pays natal. La femme de 33 ans est membre de deux groupes d’entrepreneurs particulièrement actifs en Outaouais.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué – Attirer des immigrants qualifiés
Chris Alexander, ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, était à Regina aujourd’hui pour prononcer le discours principal dans le cadre de la conférence des ressources humaines intitulée SkilledMigration. Le ministre Alexander s’est adressé à des professionnels des ressources humaines de partout au pays pour leur exposer comment le Canada sera en mesure d’attirer les immigrants qualifiés qui seraient les plus susceptibles de réussir grâce au lancement d’Entrée express, en 2015. Entrée express offrira aux immigrants qualifiés une façon plus rapide et plus efficace de commencer à travailler au Canada de façon permanente. Le système transformera la façon dont le gouvernement du Canada gère les demandes au titre de quatre programmes d’immigration économique existants : le Programme des travailleurs qualifiés (fédéral), le Programme des travailleurs de métiers spécialisés (fédéral), la catégorie de l’expérience canadienne ainsi qu’une portion du Programme des candidats des provinces. Dans le cadre d’Entrée express, les étrangers qui satisfont aux critères de l’un des programmes fédéraux d’immigration économique seront acceptés dans un bassin de candidats potentiels.
CBC – Toronto’s Leading Mayoral Candidates Debate Economic, Immigration Issues
The three leading candidates in Toronto’s mayoral race debated economic and immigration issues Tuesday evening during the second debate of the day. […]They faced questions about how they will work to improve the immigrant and refugee experience for new Canadians settling in Toronto. […] Tory received cheers for his suggestion that Canada ought to support new immigrants’ English or French-language learning before they arrive in Canada. He said English-language skills are crucial for new Canadians not only to find employment, but also to attend parent-teacher conferences, go to the doctor and feel truly included in their new city. Chow said mental health services top her list of the most important services a city ought to provide new immigrants because the immigrant experience is difficult. Without mental health services, she said, “some of the families, they will slip through the crack.” […] Ford said it is important to ensure Toronto has vibrant communities not only in the city’s downtown core, but also in Etobicoke, Scarborough and other suburbs. This way, new Torontonians can be confident opening a small business no matter where they live.
CTV News – Syrian-Canadian Struggling to Help Family Asks Feds: “Why Are You Not Helping?”
The Canadian government has promised to resettle hundreds of Syrian refugees, but the process is going too slowly for some Syrian-Canadians as they struggle to rescue family members from the war-torn country. Shortly after the uprising began in 2011, Wise, a Syrian Kurd who legally changed his name from Mustafa Arab, realized he had to do everything he could to bring them to Canada while talking on the phone to his mother and sister in Aleppo. “I heard this big bombarding,” Wise told CTV’s Canada AM Tuesday about what happened right before the call cut off. “I had no connection with them after that for a week.” After a few days, Wise was finally able to get in touch with his brother who lived in Aleppo and asked him to check on his mother and sister. Wise’s brother found them in a neighbouring house and learned the loud noise on the phone was the building across the street from his mother and sister being bombed. Twenty-seven civilians, including nine children, died in that attack. “We tried so hard to get them out of the country… we sent so many letters to Mr. John Baird and to the Canadian officials and to the government. Unfortunately we had no response,” said Wise. “I’m a Canadian citizen and I’m entitled to ask my government ‘Why are you not helping the Syrians at this moment?'”
