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 – Ubuntu in Fredericton: Somali Newcomer Keeps Up an African Tradition of Helping Others
Yusuf Shire, the president of the New Brunswick African Association, is used to getting phone calls late at night or in the middle of a work day that require him to drop what he’s doing and, since he has no car, pay for a cab or ask a friend for a ride to where he’s needed. And Shire does so willingly every time. When he left a Kenyan refugee camp for Canada in 2007, he carried a small bag of possessions and a big lesson. It came from his grandparents when he was growing up in the camp: helping others always comes first.
Global News – Whatever Happened to… Alan Kurdi and the Syrian Refugee Crisis
In early September in 2015, a photo of a young boy lying lifeless on a beach in the Mediterranean captured the world’s attention. The picture showed two-year-old Alan Kurdi lying face down in the sand. On this episode of Whatever Happened To…?, Erica Vella speaks with Tima about the Kurdi family’s devastating journey and finds out how the photo of Alan mobilized Canada to take action and help thousands of Syrians fleeing persecution.
CTV News – Heartbreak, Confusion, Frustration: Applications for Permanent Residency Are Stuck in Pandemic Limbo
A report by RBC Economics puts the number at just 184,000 new permanent residents entering Canada in 2020, half of what was targeted at the beginning of the year. And for those waiting on their permanent residency applications to be approved, or those who sought asylum or refugee status in Canada, the pandemic has put them in a frustrating limbo with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Globe and Mail – No Indication Federal Security Agencies Were Consulted Before Beijing Visa Centre Was Approved
There is no indication the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship consulted federal security agencies before approving an arrangement for a company owned by the Chinese police to manage Canada’s visa application centre in Beijing, MPs heard on Thursday. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and heads of Canadian security agencies, including Shelly Bruce of the Communications Security Establishment, were asked at a Parliamentary committee meeting on Thursday whether their guidance was sought on the contract.
Le Devoir – Une reprise économique plombée par le manque de main-d’œuvre
Le manque criant de main-d’œuvre qui frappait de plein fouet la région de Chaudière-Appalaches avant la pandémie hante de nouveau la région, où le taux de chômage a chuté à 4 % le mois dernier. Pour ajouter au casse-tête des employeurs, les délais d’immigrations freinent l’embauche à l’international. La pandémie a également freiné la croissance continue de délivrance de permis de travail. Pour l’ensemble du Québec, le Canada avait autorisé en 2019 près de 41 000 nouveaux immigrants à travailler. En 2020, ce chiffre a chuté à 31 265.
Radio-Canada – Des milliers de demandeurs d’asile privés d’un travail légal
Tel que le prévoit la loi actuelle, un demandeur d’asile a légalement le droit de travailler au Canada en attendant d’avoir une audience devant le tribunal qui statuera sur son dossier. Habituellement, ce permis de travail est délivré en moins de deux mois. Or, en raison des conséquences liées à la pandémie, avec la fermeture notamment des bureaux fédéraux durant plusieurs mois, il est quasiment impossible pour les demandeurs d’asile arrivés au Canada au cours de cette pandémie, voire quelque temps auparavant, d’obtenir le précieux sésame.
