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 – Human Rights Groups Call for End to ‘Horrid System’ that Allows CBSA to Lock Up Immigrants in Provincial Jails
Human rights advocates in B.C. are calling on the province to end its contract with the Canadian Border Services Agency and stop incarcerating immigrants and refugees in provincial jails. A coalition of human rights organizations and advocates — including the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International — launched a campaign in October urging Canadians to call on the provincial government to stop allowing the CBSA to use provincial jails to lock up people seeking asylum.
CBC News – Political Crackdown Prompts Hong Kongers to Leave, and Start New Lives on P.E.I.
The recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong can be traced to the 2014 Umbrella Movement, but the incident which directly triggered the mass demonstrations was the introduction of a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China in June 2019. That June, there were two major rallies which are estimated to have drawn over a million people each in a city with a population of seven million. Galen Ho participated in both of them, but he said he quickly started to have his doubts that anything would change. He then began planning his move to P.E.I.
Toronto Star – Canada Looks to Ease Family Reunification, Amid Frustrations Over ‘Super Visa’ and Permanent-Resident Lotteries
Dubbed the Reuniting Families Act, Bill C-242 would, if passed, allow a parent or grandparent who applies for a temporary resident visa as a visitor to purchase private health insurance outside Canada and to stay in the country for a period of five years. It would also require the immigration minister to prepare and table a report on reducing the minimum income requirement that a Canadian sponsor must meet for the visiting parent or grandparent to qualify to stay here for an extended period.
CBC News – National Security Agencies’ Relationship With Racialized Communities Marred By A ‘Trust Gap:’ Report
The relationship between “racialized” groups and Canada’s national security and intelligence institutions — like the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency — continues to be bogged down by mistrust, says a new external report prepared for the federal government.
Le Soleil – Une aide financière est maintenant disponible pour les réfugiés ukrainiens
Le ministre de l’Immigration, Sean Fraser, a déclaré que les Ukrainiens qui ont fui au Canada en raison de la guerre avec la Russie commenceront à recevoir une aide financière de transition du gouvernement fédéral dans les cinq prochains jours. Le paiement unique de 3000 $ par adulte et de 1500 $ par enfant sera offert aux Ukrainiens et aux membres de leur famille qui sont arrivés dans le cadre d’un programme d’urgence qui leur permet de vivre, de travailler et d’étudier au Canada pour une période allant jusqu’à trois ans.
Globe and Mail – Ukrainian Refugees Who’ve Fled to Canada Can Now Apply for Government Income Support
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has criticized the government for not acting on those promises sooner, as thousands of Ukrainians – some without a previously arranged place to stay or much money – have already arrived in the country. The one-time payment of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child will be available to Ukrainians and their family members who arrived under an emergency program that allows them to live, work and study in Canada for up to three years.
