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.
Economic Times – Canada’s Saskatchewan Province Launches New Tech Immigration Program
This week, Saskatchewan launched the new Tech Talent Pathway under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) in a bid to ease critical labour shortages in the province’s tech sector. According to the government, the pathway will speed up the permanent immigration process for tech workers already working in Saskatchewan. Employers in Saskatchewan’s technology and innovation sectors will be able to attract more talent to support growth and increase Saskatchewan’s global competitiveness.
CBC News – Immigration Canada Probing Claims of Systemic Racism at Two Offices, Union Says
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is investigating claims of systemic racism at two of its offices, says the union representing its employees. The Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) — which represents employees at IRCC, Service Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), and the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) — says the IRCC’s internal racism probes stem from complaints filed by employees.
Toronto Star – Immigrants Are Not Okay in Rural Canada: Report
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and exposed the “vulnerability, inequality, and precarity” that newcomers, immigrants and migrant workers face in rural Canada, a new study has found. Following an extensive analysis of available literature from various sources pertaining to rural immigration, the 2021 journal review, published by Manitoba’s Brandon University, concludes that the pandemic has not necessarily created new challenges but deepened long standing issues faced by immigrants in rural towns.
Globe and Mail – Saskatchewan Aims to Be Destination of Choice for Ukrainian Refugees, Province’s Immigration Minister Says
Saskatchewan says it will welcome as many refugees from Ukraine as the federal government is willing to resettle in the province. Jeremy Harrison, the province’s immigration minister, says Saskatchewan should be the destination of choice for refugees from Ukraine. The Saskatchewan Party government has set aside $335,000 in settlement supports for Ukrainian families displaced by the ongoing Russian invasion.
National Post – Afghans Promised Safety by Canada Have Had Agonizing, Dangerous and Long Wait
Six months later, and he’s still wondering where Canada went. For those whose service with Canada’s Afghanistan mission branded them traitors in the eyes of the Taliban, life has become a desperate game of hide-and-survive. “We have no money, no home and no food,” said Qalandari, who asked he only be identified by his surname to protect his family. “Our children are not going to school.”
Toronto Star – How the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis Has Put a Spotlight on Canada – and Prompted Calls That It Do More
Some two million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the war, a looming humanitarian catastrophe that has been called the “fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War” by the United Nations. Canada is one of the countries that has made promises to help those leaving — vowing to welcome an “unlimited number” of Ukrainians — but the situation is putting a spotlight once again on this country’s at-times troubled and strained immigration system and its workings.
