immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

affairs: Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau endorsed the creation of the council, according to Globe and Mail. Report Typo/Error Now more than ever there is an urgent need for bold and innovative thinking on how we can improve international co-operation and ensure more predictable outcomes for refugees and states alike, Axworthy said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

alvin: Brown, 40, came to Canada as a child more than three decades ago, according to CBC. But the government stripped him of his permanent residency after a series of convictions, most of them drug and weapons related. Lawyers for Alvin Brown, who spent five years in maximum-security provincial jails before being deported to Jamaica last fall, are currently arguing before the Federal Court that the man's constitutional rights were violated. He was released from criminal custody in early 2011 and then detained months later for violating release conditions. Landmark challenge to immigration detention Detainee freed after 7 years of 'legal limbo' He's one of thousands of people locked up each year by the Canada Border Services Agency some for a day or two, others for months, and still others for several years. But he languished in immigration custody after Jamaica failed to issue him travel documents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dior: PETA spokesman Andrew Bernstein said in the letter We saw the numerous comments from fans who were disappointed to see you wearing fur at the Dior event last week, according to Hamilton Spectator. Like us they wish you would please retire your furs and instead choose a look that kills but doesn't actually kill anyone. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA sent a letter to the 'Disturbia' singer criticising her for wearing a calf-length Christian Dior fur coat at the Dior Cruise 2018 fashion show and pleaded with her to give up her fur coats and donate them to people who need it such as Syrian refugees. In addition we'd like to request that you please consider donating your furs to us. In the past we've sent furs to Syrian refugees and to homeless shelters which has an impact on 'as many lives as possible in a positive way' as you said so eloquently in your Harvard Humanitarian Award acceptance speech. Every fur item causes a tremendous amount of pain and suffering to the foxes, minks and coyotes who are beaten, electrocuted, gassed and often skinned alive by the fur industry - and fur production takes a toll on humans as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

arabist rabble...well-steeped: Kay has repeatedly smeared Arabs and Muslims in the service of Israeli expansionism, according to Rabble. After protests against Benjamin Netanyahu's planned speech at Concordia in 2002, Kay let loose about an Arabist rabble...well-steeped in the specious propaganda of the Arab world that made the Montr al university the centre of militant Arabism. But, Canada's leading liberal magazine can't say they didn't know Kay was a bigot when they hired him to be editor-in-chief two years ago. Writing in the National Post, Kay added, it is only among the school's Arabs -- many of whom like activist Laith Marouf, are immigrants from Arab nations where free speech is non-existent and anti-Semitic filth is widespread -- that it is considered acceptable to shut your opponent up by force. Kay supported George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq. In fact, hundreds of white and other non-Arab leftists were part of the protests that led to the cancellation of Netanyahu's speech. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assan: What's simply not true, Bernard Assan told Federal Court, is that anyone is locked up and left to rot, according to The Chronicle Herald. I'm not disputing that the interests at stake are important but if procedural rights are trampled on in particular circumstances, the law provides them avenues, Assan said. As such, he argued, it would be a mistake to throw out a law critics insist victimizes detainees because it is procedurally unfair and can lead to indefinite detention. They're allowed to make their case. The father of six and his supporters argue that foreigners who cannot be deported for various reasons are subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in that they may spend years behind bars never knowing when they might be released. Jamaican Alvin Brown, who was detained for five years before being deported last year, is challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions in Canada's immigration laws. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bombay palace: Singh, who was born in east Toronto to Punjabi parents, said while growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor, Ont., he was picked on because his name, skin and hair were different, according to CTV. I faced a lot bullying at school and often felt like I didn't belong, Singh told hundreds of supporters at Bombay Palace in Brampton, Ont. -- the same place he celebrated his 2011 provincial win. If Singh is successful, he would be the first non-Caucasian to helm a major federal party. Singh said he wasn't alone, but it struck him as incredibly unfair that other kids who were no less capable couldn't follow their dreams because their families had less money. The values that guide me today, and will continue to guide me as leader, are the progressive, social democratic values rooted in my experiences growing up, he said, switching often between English and French in his speech. Singh's father studied medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador then moved the family to Windsor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: While there is a commonly held view amongst Canadians that we have been, and continue to be, a very welcoming country when it comes to refugees and other immigrants, the reality is that over the last 150 years nearly every large wave of immigration has faced significant resistance, according to Toronto Star. And, in pretty much every case, the arguments against allowing in whichever group it is at the time have largely been the same. Library and Archives Canada By Andrew Fitz Gerald Tues., May 16, 2017 With the recent increase in refugee claimants crossing unannounced into our country from the U.S., Canada's approach to refugees is once again being hotly debated. Our lack of historical memory concerning our often-conflicted attitude toward immigration prevents us from learning from the past and leads us to keep repeating the same tired debate over and over again. Canada had virtually the same reaction in 1939 when a boatload of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution on the MS St. When a boatload of desperate Tamils arrived off of Vancouver's shores in 2010, the Harper government declared it a national emergency, recalled parliament from summer recess, passed new laws and argued that the 400 or so bedraggled people posed a significant threat to our security. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: Lawyers representing former immigration detainee Alvin Brown, who was deported to Jamaica last year after spending more than five years in maximum-security jail awaiting his removal, argued that Canada's immigration detention system violates multiple sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, namely the rights not to be indefinitely and arbitrarily detained and to be protected from cruel and unusual treatment, according to Toronto Star. Not only does Canada's current system not protect those rights, lawyer Jared Will told Justice Simon Fothergill, it sanctions their violation. Anne-Marie Jackson / Toronto Star file photo By Brendan Kennedy Staff Reporter Mon., May 15, 2017 The entire system by which Canada indefinitely jails the people it wishes to deport is unconstitutional and should be dramatically redesigned, Federal Court heard on Monday. Maintaining the status quo is unjustifiable and unconstitutional, Will said. Canada's border police agency detains thousands of non-citizens every year if they have been deemed inadmissible to the country and classified as a danger to the public because of past criminal convictions, or unlikely to show up for their deportation. The more complicated question is how to fix it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

getty images: But after some time, experience and training, they might appear to be more confident than usual, according to Huffington Post Canada. On the other hand, you might notice signs of disengagement. These employees might have keenly accepted their job offer and tackled their assignments with gusto when they walked through the door on their first day. What's an employer to do Photo Baona via Getty Images You might be surprised to hear that staff of all age groups feel overqualified at work. Since employers invest in their staff and don't want to lose strong performers, they may want to keep an eye out for clues that an employee feels overqualified. In fact, a new study from Monster Canada revealed that one quarter of Canadians feels this way in their current role. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ice custody: Jimenez was convicted Jan. 5 in Wake County, North Carolina, of stealing a vehicle, according to Metro News. He was turned over to ICE on March 2 after his release from local law enforcement custody and was in deportation proceedings. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in Americus at 2 15 a.m.ICE says the preliminary cause of death was ruled self-inflicted strangulation. Jimenez is the seventh person to die while in ICE custody in fiscal year 2017. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant detention: A Jamaican man who was detained for five years before being deported is challenging the constitutionality of immigration laws, according to CBC. Alvin Brown and his supporters argue that the scheme allows for indefinite detention, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment. He is telling Federal Court it would be a mistake to throw out the law allowing for immigrant detention because problems may occur as a result. Federal Court hearing landmark challenge on indefinite immigration detention Jamaican Alvin Brown finally deported but damages urged for his 5-year immigration detention But the government lawyer notes that another judge ruled immigration authorities were not to blame for Brown's long detention. He argues each case is different and that detainees do have numerous ways to seek redress if they believe their circumstances are unreasonable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration status: The temporary immigration status was originally issued for an 18-month period, but it got two six-month extensions, with the last one ending this Sunday, according to Metro News. Advocates say Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are still recovering from the outbreak, so it's not safe to go home yet. The Homeland Security Department granted temporary protected status to about 5,000 West Africans in 2014, allowing residents from the most impacted countries to live and work in the U.S. legally until the outbreak was contained, Minnesota Public Radio reported http //bit.ly/2pSGWom . In 2016, the countries were declared Ebola-free. But others say programs designed to be temporary should end. Officials haven't released numbers. African Immigrant Services executive director Abdullah Kiatamba estimated that between 200 and 500 will be affected. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nations effort: The council is branding itself as a fresh perspective on finding solutions to an unprecedented crisis that has uprooted 21 million people and forced them to flee their home countries, according to The Chronicle Herald. Axworthy will be joined on the council that includes a group of former and current politicians from Greece, Germany, Tanzania and Pakistan, among others. Axworthy will head the World Refugee Council, which will be run out of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont. The group says it will work with the ongoing United Nations effort to create what is being called a new Global Compact on refugees. Axworthy said the current refugee protection system is struggling to meet current needs. However, the council says in a statement that it will provide research and recommendations aimed at structural reform of the refugee system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

out-of-work canadians: Oversight problems with Canada's temporary foreign workers program have allowed lower-paid international workers to take jobs that could be filled by out-of-work Canadians, with some companies so overly dependent on the program that it could be having unintended economic consequences, according to CTV. Some applications for temporary foreign workers were approved even when employers failed to show they had made reasonable efforts to train existing employees or hire unemployed Canadians, including from under-represented groups, such as First Nations. RCMP supervisors and health services staff often failed to properly support members returning to work from mental health sick leave; one in five who sought mental health support from a health services office did not return to work or was discharged. Enforcement of controls on the program were sparsely applied, with few on-site inspections or face-to-face interviews with foreign workers themselves. Neither the Canada Border Services Agency nor Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are sufficiently monitoring or evaluating the controls they have in place to mitigate the risk of corruption among agents and officials. Five federal organizations and departments -- the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Global Affairs, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Health Canada and Public Services and Procurement -- should be doing more to assess and mitigate the risk of fraud, and to ensure employees get mandatory training on values, ethics and conflict of interest. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: He said those 16,500 people can be relocated by September, but he noted that some countries haven't relocated a single person, in breach of their obligations, according to The Chronicle Herald. Avramopoulos told EU lawmakers that the plan, launched in September 2015, is vital for the success of our migrant policy. EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said Tuesday that more than 18,000 migrants have been relocated and that 12,500 people in Greece and some 4,000 in Italy are eligible to go. Hungary and Poland voted against the plan, but were on the losing side and refuse to take part. Source Source The Associated Press (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

place autoplay: TAG START player CA Play In Place Autoplay for AOL Canada function commercial video var TAG END date 4/7/17 Singh, who was born in east Toronto to Punjabi parents, said while growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor, Ont., he was picked on because his name, skin and hair were different, according to Huffington Post Canada. I faced a lot bullying at school and often felt like I didn't belong,'' Singh told hundreds of supporters at Bombay Palace in Brampton, Ont. the same place he celebrated his 2011 provincial win. If Singh is successful, he would be the first non-white person to helm a major federal party. Singh said he wasn't alone, but it struck him as incredibly unfair'' that other kids who were no less capable couldn't follow their dreams because their families had less money. The values that guide me today, and will continue to guide me as leader, are the progressive, social democratic values rooted in my experiences growing up,'' he said, switching often between English and French in his speech. Singh's father studied medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador then moved the family to Windsor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

seniors: Many come with their children, at an older age, according to Metro News. They are cut off from the support network in their old country said Choi, who immigrated to Canada in 1982 with her family and four children. There are many challenges for immigrant seniors to stay healthy. I am lucky I can communicate in English. They are not familiar with the system here and must depend on other people who can speak English to help them. Language is the biggest barrier for these seniors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

support network: A new study by the Wellesley Institute looks at inequities in health and mental health between Canadian-born and immigrant seniors, according to Toronto Star. Bernard Weil / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Tues., May 16, 2017 Eighty-year-old Sung-hak Choi keeps active and healthy by volunteering in the community and caring for her seven grandchildren. She says there are many challenges for immigrant seniors when it comes to staying healthy. There are many challenges for immigrant seniors to stay healthy. They are cut off from the support network in their old country said Choi, who immigrated to Canada in 1982 with her family and four children. Many come with their children, at an older age. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

telecommunications commission: The process could result in the regulator denying permission for closing a station, said a CRTC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Hamilton Spectator. However, there are no guarantees that a station earmarked for going off the air would remain open, the official acknowledged. Station owners will have to give 120 days notice of an intended closure, during which time the regulator will open the proposed shutdown to public hearings, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said in issuing five-year licence renewals for the major TV conglomerates. This is essentially something that is a safety net of some sort to ensure that we receive advice and that we be in a position to actually consult Canadians by our usual means, the official said, noting that none of the broadcasters appearing before the regulator in the last year proposed station closures. However, it wasn't clear how public concerns over a proposed shutdown would be weighted against a TV group's financial pressures. The public would be consulted through open hearings and social media if a closure were to be proposed, the regulator said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

threats: And his entire brief statement punctuated by McMaster walking away without taking shouted questions speaks volumes, according to Hamilton Spectator. Here's what McMaster said There's nothing that the president takes more seriously than the security of the American people. Related Stories Trump claims absolute right' to... But the rest of McMaster's statement made clear he wasn't actually denying the report. The story that came out tonight, as reported, is false. At no time at no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed. The president and the foreign minister Sergey Lavrov reviewed a range of common threats to our two counties, including threats to civil aviation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tuition fees: That translates to almost 4 million people with a college diploma and five million with a university degree, according to Huffington Post Canada. The number holding doctorates has especially soared, doubling to more than 160,000 over the past ten years. Fifty one per cent of 25- to 64-year-olds have a tertiary university or college qualification, up from 41 per cent in 2001 -- the highest proportion among developed countries. Immigrants hold half of these degrees. Completion times remain long a PhD, for example, takes on average five to six years to earn. At the same time, tuition fees have increased by 40 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

work environments: Thus, approaching a new mentoring relationship in a more holistic fashion and being open to sharing one's background more broadly are some of the key characteristics of successful formal mentoring, according to Globe and Mail. Encourage cross-cultural matching Not just in Canada, but globally, work environments are as diverse as the marketplace in which organizations operate. Just as important is acknowledging work-life connections as you share your story. We find that formal mentoring programs that emphasize cross-cultural matches are a unique opportunity to enhance cross-cultural understanding and skills of both mentoring partners. Cross-cultural mentor-prot g dyads exchanged a variety of cultural knowledge and did not just learn about each other but learned from each other. In fact, our study finds that contrary to the popular belief about mentoring being typically more beneficial for the prot g s, mentors, especially those in cross-cultural matches, can gain just as much. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assan: What's simply not true, Bernard Assan told Federal Court, is that anyone is locked up and left to rot, according to Brandon Sun. I'm not disputing that the interests at stake are important but if procedural rights are trampled on in particular circumstances, the law provides them avenues, Assan said. As such, he argued, it would be a mistake to throw out a law critics insist victimizes detainees because it is procedurally unfair and can lead to indefinite detention. They're allowed to make their case. The father of six and his supporters argue that foreigners who cannot be deported for various reasons are subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in that they may spend years behind bars never knowing when they might be released. Jamaican Alvin Brown, who was detained for five years before being deported last year, is challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions in Canada's immigration laws. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

plan: Hungary and Poland voted against the plan, but were on the losing side and refuse to take part, according to Brandon Sun. He said those 16,500 people can be relocated by September, but he noted that some countries haven't relocated a single person, in breach of their told EU lawmakers that the plan, launched in September 2015, is vital for the success of our migrant policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maryland decision: Trump wants those decisions reversed, according to Brandon Sun. On Monday a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle heard Hawaii's lawsuit challenging the ban, which would suspend the nation's refugee program and temporarily bar new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Federal courts in Hawaii and Maryland earlier this year blocked Trump's revised travel ban from taking effect. Last week, judges on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, heard arguments over whether to affirm a Maryland judge's decision putting the ban on ice.WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT SAY Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall told the appellate court judges the president's directive falls squarely within his duty to secure the nation's borders and that it does not discriminate against Muslims in its language or in its operation. On Monday, Wall said the order doesn't say anything about religion. Previous presidents have blocked certain foreign nationals Jimmy Carter used his authority to deny some Iranians entry to the U.S. during the hostage crisis, Ronald Reagan to bar Cubans who didn't already have relatives here, and President Barack Obama to keep out North Korean officials. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nations effort: The council is branding itself as a fresh perspective on finding solutions to an unprecedented crisis that has uprooted 21 million people and forced them to flee their home countries, according to Brandon Sun. Axworthy will be joined on the council that includes a group of former and current politicians from Greece, Germany, Tanzania and Pakistan, among others. Axworthy will head the World Refugee Council, which will be run out of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont. The group says it will work with the ongoing United Nations effort to create what is being called a new Global Compact on refugees. Axworthy said the current refugee protection system is struggling to meet current needs. However, the council says in a statement that it will provide research and recommendations aimed at structural reform of the refugee system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.