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 – ‘Progress’ Being Made Toward Getting Windsor-Essex Residents Cross-Border Vaccine Exemption
Existing Canadian laws may allow Canadians to cross the United States border to get vaccinated without the requirement to quarantine on a case-by-case basis, according to Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj. Musyj has been pushing the federal government in recent weeks to either get excess vaccines in Detroit, Mich. shipped to Canada, or allow Canadians an ability to cross into the United States for the sole purpose of vaccination. He says the latter effort, sending people stateside, shows the most promise.
CBC News – Hundreds of Thousands of Canadian Citizenship Hopefuls Waiting for Applications to Be Processed
In March 2020, Minakshi thought her journey to Canadian citizenship was coming to a close, as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada set a date for her test. Then the world changed before her eyes on March 11, exactly a week before her scheduled citizenship exam. Minakshi is one of hundreds of thousands of people stuck in a waiting pattern. In a series of internal IRCC emails, employees acknowledge that the backlog of those permanent residents who are ready to take a citizenship test grew from 87,000 people in March 2020 to 102,000 by the start of this year.
CBC News – Migrant Farm Workers Lack Access to Vaccines — Advocates Say That Hints at a Larger Problem
Connecting with Alberta’s migrant workforce is challenging — there’s no public access to data around which of the province’s farms employ these workers and many workers fear speaking out lest they be replaced. So for Vanesa Ortiz, secretary of the Association of Mexicans in Calgary, meeting these workers involved starting from scratch. Ortiz learned these workers, who often live in congregate living situations, often lack access to essential services — a struggle exacerbated by the pandemic.
Global News – Undocumented Migrants Rally in Montreal for Permanent Status
About 100 demonstrators marched from Montreal’s Jarry Park and gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s office in Park-Extension Sunday afternoon to denounce a new program offering permanent residency, saying it does not go far enough. The new program launched on May 6 offers about 90,000 permanent residency spots for foreigners working in healthcare and some essential jobs, but critics say it leaves too many vulnerable workers out.
ICI Alberta – Le défi d’assurer la santé des travailleurs agricoles étrangers en pandémie
Le manque de données publiques sur les travailleurs agricoles étrangers et leur peur de parler nuit à leur accès aux soins de santé, selon des organismes qui oeuvrent auprès d’eux. Pour la secrétaire de l’Association des Mexicains de Calgary, Vanesa Ortiz, communiquer avec eux est d’autant plus difficile, parce qu’elle ne peut savoir dans quelles fermes ils travaillent. Selon le directeur général de l’Alliance des travailleurs étrangers pour le changement, Syed Hussan, la pandémie donne un exemple parfait des difficultés auxquelles font face les travailleurs d’origine étrangère.
CBC News – Challenging the Quebec Rule That Shuts Out Refugee Claimants From Affordable Daycare
When Frantz fled Haiti for Quebec in 2018, he thought he had arrived in a place where he could safely and easily raise his family. Immediately after their arrival, he and his wife started looking for work. But before long, Frantz’s wife had to halt her search so she could stay home with the couple’s youngest son. To their surprise, the family learned they were not eligible for subsidized daycare.
