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.
Toronto Star – Marriage Fraud Crackdown: Spouses Sponsored by Canadians Now Face Two-Year Probation
In its strongest crackdown yet on marriage fraud, Ottawa has changed its rules on foreigners sponsored to enter Canada as spouses. Now, they’ll need to stay in the relationship for two years before they’re granted permanent residence status. […] Kenney promised there will be new guidelines and training to help officers process requests for exemptions based on abuse or neglect. But advocacy groups worry that sponsored spouses, often living in isolation, face cultural and language barriers to getting help if the relationship turns abusive.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – “The Jig is Up on Marriage Fraud,” says Minister Kenney
In an ongoing effort to deter people from using marriages of convenience to cheat their way into Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced a new regulation that requires certain sponsored spouses live in a legitimate relationship with their sponsor for two years or they risk losing their permanent resident status. […] The new regulations apply to spouses or partners in a relationship of two years or less and who have no children in common with their sponsor at the time they submit their sponsorship application. The spouse or partner must live in a legitimate relationship with their sponsor for two years from the day on which they receive their permanent resident status in Canada. The status of the sponsored spouse or partner may be revoked if they do not remain in the relationship.
Winnipeg Free Press – Ex-Director Lashes Foreign-Investor Program
Manitoba is losing up to $100 million a year in investment because the business stream of its immigration nominee program is in shambles, says Randy Boldt, the former program director.
Manitoba processed just 156 business applicants last year, well short of the 400 spaces it can fill under the program. That means lost economic growth. Foreign business people, who use the provincial nominee program for business to obtain permanent residency, have invested an average of $406,000 apiece in Manitoba since the program began.
Winnipeg Free Press – New Documentary Looks at Possible End of Immigration in Canada
A new film [ The End of Immigration? ]explores the boom in temporary foreign workers expanding into many sectors of the Canadian economy. […] Canada relies increasingly on “rent-a-workers” rather than immigrants, a process that could spell the end of immigration as we know it, it said. Canada appears to taking its cue from places such as Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, places that run on temporary foreign workers, it said.
Hamilton Spectator – Newcomer Services Are Improving
We would like to emphasize that after conducting and reporting on the extensive effort to review and analyze the system of newcomer services in Hamilton, the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton has concluded this system of services is improving. This improvement will continue to be aided by the ongoing collaboration between service providers through the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council. […] – Don Jaffray, M.A., executive director, Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton
Toronto Star – A Plan to Get Strict on Immigration
The one-page proposal for language under the “negative discretion” section in Bill C-43 would […] allow the government to prevent entry to corrupt foreign officials whose assets have been frozen overseas. Kenney said the new rules are needed to give the minister powers to deal with extreme cases where people espousing hate, but lacking a criminal record, could be allowed into Canada. “I want criteria that are very narrow,” Kenney told reporters after the meeting. “I don’t think this should be based on political views as contentious as they might be. This should be based on very narrow criteria; that’s what I’ve proposed in the language.”
