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.
CBC News – CBSA Backtracks on Commitment to Track All Children Separated from a Parent
The Canada Border Services Agency is backtracking on its commitment to keep track of all children who are separated from at least one parent who is being detained for immigration purposes. The initial promise was made after Radio-Canada/CBC reported on a story of a father who was separated from his two children upon his arrival at the Canadian border in December 2020. That same report revealed at least 182 children had been separated from a parent detained at the Laval Immigration Holding Centre in 2019 alone.
CBC News – Sask. Preparing for Charter Flight to Bring Fleeing Ukrainians to Regina
The Saskatchewan government is preparing for a charter flight from the Polish capital of Warsaw to Regina to bring some 230 evacuees from Ukraine to the province. Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jeremy Harrison said there is flexibility around the arrival but the target date is July 4. “We’ve made very clear our open door policy as far as resettling an unlimited number of Ukrainians seeking to relocate to Canada,” he said.
Toronto Star – With Thousands of Afghans Still Desperate to Flee the Taliban, is Canada to Close Its Doors
Fears are mounting that Canada will soon stop accepting applications from Afghans looking to escape the Taliban and resettle in this country. The federal government is believed to be inching toward its goal of inviting 40,000 Afghans to resettle here under a special immigration program, with advocates saying they’ve been told that all the spots are expected to be filled by this summer. They are pleading with the Liberal government to keep the door open, because thousands of Afghans who served the Canadian mission and supported taxpayers-funded projects remain stranded in Afghanistan.
CTV News – They Got Out of Afghanistan, but Now Refugees Are Stuck Living in Canadian Hotels
After a desperate dash for freedom last August, refugee families from Afghanistan who are still being shuffled from hotel to hotel right here in Canada feel like they are caught in some kind of purgatory. For 10 months, Nelofar, her siblings and parents have lived in a hotel room. No school, no government benefits and no clear understanding why they’ve been left in limbo.
CTV News – ‘Our Lives Have Come to a Screeching Halt’: Canada’s Immigration Backlog Reaches 2.4M
The immigration backlog in Canada has ballooned to 2.4 million people, with over 250,000 applications adding to the pile over a one-month span alone. That’s according to recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) across all categories, from temporary residence and permanent residence to citizenship applications. The increased backlog has already led to frustrations for those waiting to receive an application update from IRCC.
National Post – Visa Backlogs Leave Noted U.K.-based F1 Analyst Out of Montreal’s Canadian Grand Prix
Canadians standing in all-night passport office lineups aren’t the only ones suffering the effects of the backlogs bogging down Canada’s immigration bureaucracy. As the Canadian Grand Prix brings the sounds and thrills of Formula 1 racing back to Montreal this weekend after a two-year hiatus, noted Sky Sports motorsports analyst Karun Chandhok will instead watch the race from a U.K. studio — because six months after renewing his visitor visa with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, his application remains in a bureaucratic limbo.
