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.
Doctors, patients and refugee lawyers are teaming up to legally challenge the Conservative government’s recent cuts to refugee health care. Two advocacy groups – Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers – and three patients say the cuts are unconstitutional and violate refugees’ fundamental human rights. The lawsuit will be filed in Federal Court on Monday morning and announced in more detail at a press conference in Toronto. […] Dr. Philip Berger, a founding member of Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care and chief of family medicine at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, said the cuts have had “punishing consequences” on refugee claimants and their families. Berger said his group has documented an escalating number of patients that have been denied care, including pregnant women and people with chronic diseases. […] He also alleged mismanagement of the program has caused “dozens” of refugee claimants who are still eligible for IFHP coverage to nonetheless go without care.
Hamilton Spectator – Should Hamilton be a “Sanctuary” City?
Councillor Brian McHattie says he’d like to see Hamilton follow in the footsteps of Toronto and declare this city a “sanctuary” to allow undocumented migrants to access services regardless of their immigration or refugee status. Toronto became the first Canadian city to approve such a formal policy on Thursday, following 36 cities in the United States. Now McHattie, a member of the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council, said he will take steps to make it happen here. […] He plans to speak with the city’s community services department and include social services agencies and experts in the discussion.
La Presse – Les demandes d’asile ont diminué de 70% au Canada
L’impact du projet de loi controversé C-31 sur l’immigration dépasse les attentes du gouvernement. Des statistiques obtenues par La Presse indiquent que les demandes d’asile ont diminué de 70% depuis l’entrée en vigueur des nouvelles mesures en décembre. C’est surtout vrai pour les demandeurs de la Hongrie, un pays que le ministre de l’Immigration, Jason Kenney, a visé tout particulièrement lors des débats qui ont entouré l’adoption des changements. Selon les informations obtenues par La Presse, le nombre de demandes d’asile provenant des pays d’origine désignés reçues entre le 15 décembre 2012 et le 10 février 2013 a baissé de 84% par rapport à la même période l’année précédente.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Communiqué — Nouveau système d’octroi de l’asile du Canada : un succès
Le nouveau système d’octroi de l’asile du Canada connaît du succès après tout juste deux mois d’existence a annoncé aujourd’hui Jason Kenney, ministre de la Citoyenneté, de l’Immigration et du Multiculturalisme. Dans l’ensemble, le nombre de demandes d’asile reçues chaque semaine a chuté de 70 % par rapport aux échéanciers similaires des six dernières années. Si cette tendance se maintient, on s’attend à ce que les provinces et les territoires économisent un autre 420 millions de dollars sur cinq ans en coûts liés à l’aide sociale, à l’éducation et aux soins de santé, ce qui signifierait des économies de plus de 2 milliards de dollars réalisées grâce au nouveau système d’octroi de l’asile.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release- Canada’s New Asylum System a Success
Canada’s new asylum system is already a success after just over two months in operation, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today. Overall, the number of asylum claims received each week is down by 70 percent compared to similar timeframes over the past six years. If this trend continues, provinces and territories are expected to save an additional $420 million over five years in social assistance, education costs and health-care costs, pushing the total savings from asylum system reform to over $2 billion. […] The new system also introduced, for the first time, an intermediate appeal to the newly created Refugee Appeal Division for claimants from countries that historically have produced significant numbers of refugees. In order to discourage unfounded claims, however, failed claimants from designated countries do not have access to the newly-created Refugee Appeal Division, and are removed much more quickly. As a result, their ability to draw on taxpayer-funded health and social services are significantly reduced.
Xtra – Government to Deport Gay Torontonian Monday
Israel Sanchez fled Panama in 1988, when he was only 21. A journalism student, Sanchez saw many of his colleagues “disappear” at the hands of dictator Manuel Noriega. So Sanchez escaped, arriving in Toronto to take advantage of Canada’s generous refugee system. But as his claim was being processed, a wrench was thrown into the machine – George HW Bush invaded Panama and installed a civilian government. The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board decided that the threat had passed and that Sanchez had no grounds to become a refugee. Having already established himself in Canada, he launched an appeal. In 1995, his appeal was dismissed. […] He got married in 2009, and his husband sponsored his residency status, finally giving him legal status in the country. […] But things unravelled. Sanchez and his husband split acrimoniously. […] Sanchez’s sponsorship was revoked. And then the border officers came. He was taken to the Toronto West Detention Centre and told that he would be sent back to Panama on Feb 25.
