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.
CTV News – Montreal Afghans Want Canada to Do More to Evacuate Refugees
Safia Amiry, a PhD candidate at McGill University, was born in Kabul under Taliban rule and is now working on her PhD researching gender equity in Afghanistan. She said like many Afghan international students, her visa and passport will eventually expire, with no avenue to renew it. “I don’t know where I belong myself right now. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan does not exist, the embassies will not give you a passport from that address, and I do not belong to Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan or whatever they call it,” she said.
Globe and Mail – Afghan-Canadian Entrepreneur’s New Mobile App Helps Keep Civilians Updated on Nearby Security Issues
Ehtesab – the name means “accountability” in the Afghan dialects of Dari and Pashto – is a mobile app that sends users real-time security alerts (in the aforementioned dialects and English) according to their location. Users can also report incidents, submit photos, pinpoint where the security issue is taking place and leave contact information in order to receive updates. The app was released just last year.
CBC News – Quebec Gets Ready to Welcome First Group of Afghan Refugees
Quebec is getting ready to welcome a first group of Afghan refugees, according to the province’s immigration minister. In a series of tweets on Monday, Nadine Girault tweeted they would come to the province, after they finish their quarantine in Toronto. “The federal government has informed us that about 300 refugees should soon be able to arrive on Quebec territory,” Girault said.
Toronto Star – ‘We Only Have One Week Left’: Canadians Scramble to Help Get Afghans Out of Kabul as Taliban Refuse to Extend Aug. 31 Deadline for Evacuation
The timeline to get something, anything, done was reinforced Tuesday as Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on the eve of a G7 meeting that the militant group would accept “no extensions” to the Aug. 31 deadline U.S. President Joe Biden set for the withdrawal of all American troops. On the campaign trail Tuesday, Trudeau offered to keep Canadian military personnel in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31. “The commitment by our fellow G7 nations is clear: We’re all going to work together to save as many people as possible,” Trudeau said.
Le Devoir – Ottawa défend sa mission d’évacuation en Afghanistan
Le Canada a évacué 121 personnes de plus d’Afghanistan samedi, incluant des citoyens canadiens et des membres de leurs familles ainsi que des Afghans admissibles à être accueillis par le Canada ou ses alliés, a confirmé le gouvernement canadien dimanche. Plus tôt dans la journée, le ministre de la Défense, Harjit Sajjan, avait déclaré que le Canada allait continuer de travailler sans relâche pour évacuer d’Afghanistan le plus grand nombre de gens en danger « tant que ce sera sécuritaire de le faire ».
CBC News – Police Investigating Vandalism of Komagata Maru Memorial as Possible Hate Crime
The Vancouver Police Department says it is investigating a possible hate crime after a memorial acknowledging a racist chapter in Canada’s history was vandalized over the weekend. On Sunday, the Komagata Maru memorial in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood was vandalized with white paint. Nearly 400 South Asian immigrants were aboard the Komagata Maru, which was anchored just off Coal Harbour in 1914, when it was turned away from Canada due to exclusion laws. The white graffiti on the memorial included handprints that covered the names of the ship’s occupants.
