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 – Expanded Foreign Worker Program Praised, but More Hiring Help Needed, Businesses Say
On Monday, Employment and Social Development Canada announced that sectors experiencing labour shortages will be allowed to hire more employees from abroad, and in some cases those employees can stay longer under the temporary foreign worker program. Those include companies in seasonal industries such as the seafood processing sector, which are no longer subject to a cap on the number of “low-wage” positions that employers can fill through the program.
Toronto Star – How Long Will Canada Make This Afghan Boy Wait for a Family Reunion
When Hadisullhaq Afghanfar, age 9, finally got past the front gate of the Kabul airport amid the chaos last August to board one of the final evacuation flights out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, his grandfather assured him the rest of the family would follow. Seven months after Hadisullhaq arrived in Toronto with his grandparents and an aunt, he remains separated from his parents and siblings, who are stuck in Pakistan waiting for a visitor visa to join him in Canada.
Toronto Star – Budget’s Housing Plans Target Canada’s Next Generation of Immigrants
Last year, a Statistics Canada study on housing for new immigrants found that 27 per cent of recent arrivals were living in housing without enough bedrooms, a rate three times higher than the nine per cent of the total population living in unsuitable housing. The housing proposals unveiled Thursday also seek to make it easier for certain buyers to enter the market, which in turn could drive up prices, given the scarce supply.
Global News – Canada Will Honour Refugee Commitments On ‘A Moral Basis’: Immigration Minister
Asked about Canada’s dual refugee crises with Afghanistan refugees entering the country and now the influx of Ukrainian refugees, immigration minister Sean Fraser said on Wednesday the government will honour those commitments on the basis of “a moral obligation.” “There’s never been more demand on our immigration system in Canada,” said Fraser. “Do we have the capacity to make good on these commitments? I don’t think we have the capacity not to.”
Reuters – Canadian Refugee Groups Gird for Supreme Court Fight Over Asylum-Seeker Pact
Canadian refugee advocates have filed arguments gearing up for a Supreme Court fight over an asylum-seeker pact with the United States as they seek to overturn a Federal Court of Appeal ruling they say wrongly shields government action from scrutiny. Under the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, Canadian officials send back asylum-seekers coming from the United States at land border crossings, on the grounds that they should file refugee claims in the United States.
CBC News – Expanding Temporary Foreign Worker Program Just Means ‘More Exploitable Workers’: Advocate
The federal government is tackling labour shortages by allowing some companies to bring more temporary foreign workers to Canada — but one advocate says those workers need better protections. “The question is: why are these people being brought in on closed work permits, tied to the employer, rather than being given the same right as any other immigrant?” said Syed Hussan, executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. About 100,000 temporary foreign workers come to Canada each year, under a scheme that allows employers to hire them if no Canadian or permanent resident is available.
