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.
Globe and Mail – Canada New Magnet For U.S. Job Hunters
Canada’s stronger economy is becoming a magnet for Americans hunting for work. In a reversal of historical flows, immigration lawyers report a surge of calls from Americans who want to move north. Statistics bear out their observations: A record number of Americans applied for temporary work visas last year, Immigration Canada statistics show, spurred largely by the contrasting health of the two countries’ labour markets. On one side of the border, 14 million Americans are out of work – the equivalent of more than 40 per cent of Canada’s population. On the other side, some employers – particularly in Alberta’s oil sector – say they can’t find enough skilled workers, prompting the country’s federal immigration minister to publicly muse last month on how to admit more skilled Americans.
The Guardian – David Cameron Launches Immigration Crackdown
David Cameron has urged the British public to report illegal immigrants and vowed to change the citizenship test so that it includes questions on British history. The text of the prime minister’s key immigration speech confirms that he wants to make forced marriage a criminal offence, and makes it clear thatDowning Streetbacks Theresa May’s desire to rewrite the immigration rules so “misinterpretations” of the right to family life do not block immigration deportations. But his proposal to require families who want to sponsor overseas relatives to settle inBritainto post a financial bond worth thousands of pounds has already sparked a strong warning from Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, that it will “antagonise settled communities in Britain and enrage our allies such as India”.
London Free Press – Millionaires Waiting To Move To Canada, Officials Say
More than 22,500 foreign millionaires are waiting abroad to resettle in Canada bringing with them more than $9 billion to help cash-strapped Ottawa, immigration officials say. About 16,400 millionaires reside in Hong Kong, said Jim Versteegh, a federal immigration program manager at the Canadian consulate inHong Kong, in classified numbers released this week. Versteegh said about 22,491 millionaire investors worldwide have applied and are waiting to come toCanada. They will bring about 77,800 family members with them.
London Free Press – The Nation As A Network Of Global Citizens
Immigration is always a hot issue when the economy is weak and jobs are scarce, so it should be no surprise it has jumped to the top of the political agenda in Europe and the United States. But much of the debate today around these centuries-old themes of us vs. them and newcomer vs. old-timer is missing an essential point: In the age of the Internet, the jet airplane and the multinational company, the very concepts of immigration, citizenship and even statehood are changing. “This is the new wave, the new trend,” Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, told me. “We had the globalization of trade, we had the globalization of capital, and now we have the globalization of talent.”
The Guardian – UK Failing To Share Burden Of Migration Crisis, Says Southern Europe
Italy and Greece have accused Britain and its northern European neighbours of not sharing the responsibility for a crisis in migration that has left them struggling to cope. During a year in which the Arab spring has accelerated migration to Europe and the economic crisis has made it harder to deal with people who arrive, Italy and Greece are seeking a suspension of the EU’s so-called Dublin system – under which Britain deports hundreds of immigrants to southern Europe – because they claim it unfairly compounds their burden. A special Guardian investigation has discovered that some of those deported from Britain have ended up destitute on the streets of Rome.
The federal government is giving refugee claimants a maximum of 15 days to prepare an appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board, a change the Conservatives made after legislation to reform the system was passed and one that is drawing criticism. The Balanced Refugee Reform Act, which included the promise of a new appeals division and was passed in June 2010, had two main goals: make the refugee system faster and fairer. Some refugee advocates aren’t happy with how the government is proceeding with implementing the legislation and say the 15-day timeframe for appeals is too short, CBC’s Louise Elliott reports.
