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.
Ottawa Citizen – Refugee Hearings Move to Montreal as Ottawa Office Closes
A group of Ottawa immigration lawyers is lobbying the federal government to change its plans to close the local office for refugee hearings, saying it will make it harder for claimants to receive a fair hearing. The Immigration and Refugee Board has several hearing rooms for refugee cases at its national headquarters on Slater Street, says Mike Bell, one of several lawyers representing more than 30 colleagues who regularly represent refugees in Ottawa. He says the lawyers were told in January that the board will move the hearings to Montreal at the end of this month and use the Ottawa space for other purposes. Bell said it’s his understanding the move is part of cost-reduction efforts demanded of all government departments by Treasury Board. […] The IRB registry office in Ottawa receives documents and holds hearings for three of the board’s four divisions: immigration, refugee protection and the immigration appeal division.
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark’s deputy chief of staff has resigned, days after the leak of a controversial document outlining the Liberals’ plan to win ethnic votes in the upcoming provincial election. Kim Haakstad had offered advice and input during the drafting stages of the Liberals’ “Multicultural Strategy” revealed in documents leaked by the NDP earlier this week. […] John Dyble, deputy minister to the premier, will head a team that will conduct interviews and review documents related to the ethnic vote plan, and the investigation will cover the premier’s office and several ministries, including the one dealing with multiculturalism.
Edmonton Journal – Ex-Chairman Raises Bias Concerns as Refugee Board Seeks New Leader
As the federal government seeks a new boss for the Immigration and Refugee Board, one former chairman is raising concerns about the potential for bias. The job, which pays as much as $266,000 a year, is a cabinet appointment and Peter Showler argues that opens the door to patronage since there’s no mechanism to ensure transparency or accountability. More importantly, he said, it means the government could select somebody who ultimately shares its perspective on refugees. […] It’s a problem, said the adjunct professor and director of the Refugee Forum at the University of Ottawa, since the IRB is supposed to be an arm’s-length, quasi-judicial tribunal that bases its decisions on the law and the evidence presented, not public policy.
Winnipeg Free Press – Corner Stores are Disappearing, but for Immigrants They Represent a New Lease on Life
Corner stores, once a staple of urban existence, are disappearing from the city’s ever-evolving landscape. […] In Winnipeg’s North End, the bulk of those remaining stores are owned and operated by Korean families — first-generation immigrants who live above or behind the grocery, living a life that has nothing to do with convenience. […] The high number of Korean owners isn’t coincidence, but represents not just a cultural pipeline — most current Korean owners bought from former Korean owners — but the changing ethnic makeup of the neighbourhood, which has a large number of Asian immigrants.
Toronto Star –Temporary Foreign Worker Program Under Review
Ottawa is looking into restricting the inflow of low-skilled temporary foreign workers while opening the door for more to get permanent status in Canada, the Star has learned. In a background paper circulated to interest groups, the federal government warned that an increasing number of employers are using migrant workers to address “long-term, structural labour gaps” instead of meeting short-term needs. […] A consultation meeting was held this week in Ottawa amid concerns over the exponential growth of temporary foreign workers in Canada and the anticipated surge of undocumented migrants as they see their work permits expire and move underground.
Le Devoir – Diane de Courcy en entrevue au Devoir – Des «ratés» dans le système d’accueil des réfugiés
La ministre de l’Immigration, Diane De Courcy, concède que des changements s’imposent dans l’accueil des réfugiés au Québec. Toutefois, elle n’a aucun argent frais à investir dans le secteur. « Je constate qu’il y a des choses qui sont à corriger, a-t-elle déclaré mercredi lors d’un entretien. Quand on met en place des systèmes d’accompagnement, il faut s’assurer qu’ils fonctionnent. Il y a un programme au ministère d’assurance-qualité, mais là, manifestement, il y a des choses à voir. » La ministre réagissait à une série d’articles sur la situation des réfugiés népalo-bouthanais à Québec.
