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.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – Minister Kenney Visits Displaced Syrians in Turkish Camps
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today visited the Islahiye and Öncupinar camps in Turkey for displaced Syrians who have fled violence in their homeland. During his time in Turkey, Minister Kenney is meeting with state and humanitarian organizations representatives, including those from the Turkish Red Crescent and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, with whom he will be discussing the plight of displaced Syrians, and Canada’s role in providing humanitarian assistance.
Winnipeg Free Press – B.C. Judge Declares Human Smuggling Law Too Broad, Putting Tamil Cases in Limbo
In February 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to toughen asylum laws as he stood aboard one of the ships used to bring Tamil migrants to Canada in 2009 and 2010. Now, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Arne Silverman suggests the government go back to the drawing board on a key section of the legislation. It means a trial that was set for later this month for four men accused of ferrying Tamils aboard the first boat in fall 2009 has been adjourned. The ruling also has implications for a second prosecution in connection with a boat of hundreds more migrants who arrived the following year, and any future potential cases of human smuggling.
India Times – Gujarati Entrepreneurs Fuelling Growth in Canada
Canada has identified Gujarat as its fastest growing immigration source from India. The country’s minister for citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism Jason Kenney said here on Saturday that Gujaratis with their entrepreneurial skills are fuelling the Canadian growth. Canada is one of the partner countries for the ongoing summit. He was addressing a seminar on “Canada-Gujarat Business and Trade Opportunities” as a part of the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat summit.
The Catholic Register – Frustration Mounts in Refugee Waiting Game
The 166 Toronto-area parishes with active refugee committees could open a new, more hopeful chapter on up to 700 refugee stories in 2013. While 700 arrivals is technically feasible, the Office of Refugees Archdiocese of Toronto believes it’s probably more realistic to think in terms of about 400 refugees landing at Pearson International Airport in 2013. Still, it’s a big increase over the 150 welcomed in 2012. […] Wait times aren’t the only problem refugee sponsors will face in 2013, said Janet Dench, Canadian Council for Refugees executive director. With major cutbacks to refugee health insurance church refugee committees are going to face serious medical, dental and pharmaceutical bills they hadn’t counted on. In Winnipeg the ecumenical refugee ministry Hospitality House is taking the government to court over changes to the Interim Federal Healthcare Program that will leave church sponsors holding the bag for everything from prosthetics to heart medication.
Guardian – Poll for Thinktank Reveals One in Three [Britons] Believes Immigration is the Most Important Cause of Division
Immigration is regarded by the public as the biggest issue facing British society, a major new survey taking stock of the state of the country reveals. One in three people believes tension between immigrants and people born in the UK is the major cause of division, while well over half regard it as one of the top three causes.
Al Jazeera English – The Plight of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka has recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia after the execution of Rizana Nafeek over the death of an infant in her care in 2005. […] “Every government really has to take responsibility for what it can do to better protect these workers who are at high risk of abuse. There is a new convention adopted in 2011 on domestic workers – neither Saudi Arabia, nor Sri Lanka has adopted it. They should take action to do that. What I hope is that people can – while mourning the case of Rizana Nafeek and her tragic fate – really look at the broader situation of domestic workers and the many reforms that have to take place in recruitment, in training, in labour laws, in immigration sponsorship laws to really make sure that tragedies like this don’t happen again.” – Nisha Varia, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch
