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.
Toronto Star – Closure of Immigration Program Leaves Thousands Without Rights
The Essential Worker stream of the new Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence Immigration program has closed. The decision was made 10 weeks after it had opened, and leaves thousands of migrants without permanent resident status, and equal rights. The new permanent residency program was set to close after six months or when the caps in each stream were reached. Its closure after just two months demonstrates how these first-come, first-serve programs are unfair.
Toronto Star – It’s a System Meant to Help Newcomers to Canada Learn English. But Critics Say it Prioritizes Testing — at Students’ Expense
After having his education stalled by war, Fahed Diab was thrilled to have a chance to return to school in Canada. But before he could apply to college, the Syrian refugee needed to enrol in adult English classes. However, when changes were made to the federal immigration department-funded Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC) while he wasabout halfway into his one-year program,Diab, now studying engineering at Lakehead University, said he lost his drive as a result of the frequent in-class assessments required to prove the students’ progress.
CBC News – Palestinian Family Reunited in Canada After Father Pleads with Federal Government
Arriving with his family Thursday morning at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, Abdallah Alhamadni smiled, looked at his wife and three sons and let out a deep sigh of relief. His loved ones were finally safe from the violent conflict between Israel and Hamas that erupted most recently this past spring. Alhamadni fled Gaza in 2019. His refugee claim was approved last year. After that, he asked the federal government to grant an emergency permit to bring his wife and three children to Canada.
Le Devoir – Québec s’entend avec Ottawa pour accueillir plus de travailleurs temporaires
Le milieu des affaires semble avoir été entendu : une nouvelle entente Canada-Québec permettra aux employeurs québécois de faire passer de 10 % à 20 % le quota de travailleurs étrangers temporaires qu’ils souhaitent embaucher dans des postes à bas salaires. Si la nouvelle est généralement bien accueillie, elle ne réglera toutefois pas tous les problèmes, si l’on en croit la classe économique et le milieu de l’immigration.
Washington Post – Canada Wants Immigrants But the Pandemic Is in the Way. So It’s Looking to Keep People Already There.
Canada wants more immigrants — 401,000 this year, to be exact — and is not letting pandemic border controls get in the way. That means some new programs, including ones granting residency status to people already in the country and in jobs that might not have previously qualified.
CBC News – ‘You have patients say the N-word’: Black nurses call for support against racism on the medical frontlines
Some days on the frontlines are harder than others. For Ottawa nurse Temi Adegburin, one day will be etched forever in her mind — the day a patient refused her care because of the colour of her skin. “I went to go help a colleague who needed assistance with a patient. We were both Black nurses and [the patient] was very upset. She said, ‘You guys cannot help me. You need to find a white nurse,'” Adegburin told White Coat, Black Art producer Imani Walker. At the time, Adegburin was working in a long-term care home in Ottawa. It was not the first time a patient had refused her care, but it was her colleagues’ response to the incident that struck her.
