bob rae: But there are fears the situation will worsen as the region's rainy season approaches, according to CTV. Of the up to 8.15 million in new aid money, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the World Food Program will each be given 1.5 million with the rest going mainly to other non-governmental organizations, the government says. International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says aid organizations are already overwhelmed by the massive influx of Muslim-minority refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. The funding comes in response to recommendations from Bob Rae, who was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last October as Canada's special envoy to Myanmar. It is estimated that more than 671,000 Rohingya refugees -- mostly women and children -- have fled to Bangladesh since last August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Prior to Friday's announcement, Canada had already committed more than 37.5 million in humanitarian assistance for the region. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cooking class: But take a walk through the front doors, and you'll find a multicultural world with students from nearly every continent inside something a new cooking class at the school celebrates by bringing together students, and their parents, who come from across the globe, according to CBC. We have students from about 17 countries at the kindergarten to Grade 8 school, said principal Blaine Aston. There's a gym, a play structure, lots of classrooms. It's a great little community school. We're a mini United Nations' How newcomer students at this Winnipeg school are finding their voice Aside from students born and raised in Canada, Aston said some of the 315 students at the school in the southwestern Manitoba city come from countries like Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, China, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Ethiopia, just to name a few. It's a really unique experience with having so many diverse cultures that are learning from each other. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

frances mcdormand: Fans of Tinseltown's latest overnight sensation, the inclusion rider, hope it can buck the trend and take a starring role in film and TV for years to come, according to Toronto Star. In early March, after winning an Academy Award for best actress, Frances McDormand stepped onstage at the Dolby Theatre and gave an unexpected shout-out to the inclusion rider, a relatively new contract clause whereby A-list actors can demand diversity benchmarks with the cast and crew. And then, just as rapidly, disappears back into obscurity. Stacy Smith, head of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California, first came up with the idea in 2014, convinced that widespread adoption would dramatically increase the roles going to women, people of colour, the disabled and LGBTQ people. At the same time, those on the front line of Hollywood contract negotiations are questioning their viability. Read more What is an inclusion rider Frances McDormand spotlights equity clause at 2018 Oscars Article Continued Below Opinion Susan Delacourt Think of this as an inclusion rider' for speaker panels Opinion Jennifer Wells What Oscar-winner Frances McDormand can teach corporate Canada If the three top agencies did this, Hollywood would literally be changed in a very short time, Smith said in an interview. react-empty 144 Following McDormand's name-check in front of 26.5 million TV viewers, inclusion riders have been gaining vocal support from the acting community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

irish: Trump appeared with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar as part of a day of joint events marking the holiday, including a one-on-one visit at the White House, according to The Chronicle Herald. Both leaders spoke at a luncheon at the U.S. Capitol with Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, an event that included Vice-President Mike Pence and several lawmakers of Irish descent. Patrick's Day, though he joked that the country was a tough one to compete with on taxes. After noting a number of famous Irish Americans, Trump said Whenever there's a problem, you call, we'll solve it. You're a tough one to compete with on the taxes. Amid laughter, he added Except for trade ... They've got those taxes so low. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

marian mekhael: We were waiting for this moment since five years ago now, said a beaming Marian Mekhael as she and daughters Miray, 6, and Demiana, 5, made their way, tiny Canadian flags in hand, to have photos taken with the dignitaries who hosted the ceremony, according to The Chronicle Herald. We are so happy to finally get it. That was the reaction Friday of most of the 47 fledgling Canadians who celebrated their new citizenship at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. We are very happy to be Canadian and very proud to be part of this country. The family from Cairo, Egypt, includes husband Basem, who is still waiting for the paperwork to be processed so that he, too, can gain Canadian citizenship. We love it so much. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal gazette: We're going into an election campaign in Quebec and I'm hoping that identity politics is not going to rear its ugly head again, according to CTV. Charest's comments come as the Liberals continue to spar with the CAQ over a controversial accusation. Our society seems to be consumed by identity politics, Charest told CTV Montreal. In a recent interview with the West Island edition of the Montreal Gazette, Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said he believes the party is proposing an ethnic-based nationalism. On Wednesday, a visibly angry Francois Legault demanded an apology, telling reporters at the National Assembly Leitao's comments were unacceptable. They view the French majority as being under attack from all those foreigners out there, Leitao told the newspaper. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

removal operations: The San Diego operation targeted 533 people who have been convicted or charged with a crime, have a judge's order to leave the United States or are known to have re-entered the country illegally after having been previously deported, said Greg Archambeault, San Diego field office director for enforcement and removal operations, according to Metro News. The agency's typical capture rate is about 30 per cent in such operations, Archambeault said. It was U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's third California operation in barely a month, following one in the Los Angeles area that resulted in 212 arrests and one in Northern California that had 232 arrests. Authorities said rainy weather and a decision to shorten the operation by one day - Tuesday to Thursday - kept arrests lower than the previous two operations. Teams of six officers in San Diego were each required to identify 100 targets for the operation, with priority given to those with the most serious criminal and immigration histories. Identifying targets requires painstaking preparation that includes vetting public records and doing home surveillance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

review: Allegations of discreditable conduct against two of the officers are also substantiated, according to the civilian watchdog's probe, according to CBC. Neglect of duty' found in review of Thunder Bay police investigation into death of Indigenous man Key witnesses in probe of Indigenous man's 2015 death not interviewed by police, fifth estate finds The officers can't be served with notices of hearing, however, because the police review director's investigation took more than six months to complete. An investigation by Ontario's Independent Police Review Director OIPRD into DeBungee's case found grounds for neglect of duty charges against three officers. Provincial regulations state that it's now up to the board to decide whether the delay was reasonable and whether hearings will be held. The police board is scheduled to meet April 6 in closed session to hear that application, according to secretary John Hannam. A spokesperson with the OIPRD confirmed the director's office has, through Police Chief J.P. Levesque, applied to the board to pursue disciplinary hearings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state board: Gov, according to Metro News. Jerry Brown in 2016 appointed to a state board a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives protection from deportation to people brought the U.S. illegally as children.A corrected version of the story is below Lawyer in US illegally gets California statewide appointment The California Senate has named an attorney and immigrant rights activist living in the country illegally to a statewide appointment in the nation's most populous state By SOPHIA BOLLAGAssociated Press An attorney and immigrant rights activist living in the U.S. illegally has been named to a statewide appointment in the nation's most populous state, California's Senate leader announced Wednesday. In a story March 15 about a statewide appointment in California, The Associated Press reported based on information from the California state Senate that Lizbeth Mateo was the first person living in the U.S. illegally to receive a statewide appointment. The Senate Rules Committee appointed Lizbeth Mateo to be an adviser on college access and financial aid. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon framed her appointment as a rebuke of Republican President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Mateo is well known for championing protections for people without legal authorization to live in the U.S. who were brought to the country as children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

turkish: According to human rights advocacy group PEN International, Dogan was convicted in March 2017 of propagandizing for a terrorist organization, according to CTV. It says Dogan argued at her trial that painting a real-life event based upon a photo taken and disseminated by the Turkish military was part of her work as a journalist. Zehra Dogan, an ethnic Kurd, was jailed after painting the Turkish flag flying over the rubble of a destroyed town. Banksy's 70-foot-long mural consists of black tally marks representing Dogan's days in a Turkish prison. A lower corner of the mural bears the slogan Free Zehra Dogan. Dogan is shown jailed behind one set of marks, grasping one that's transformed into a large pencil. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

amani sulaiman: Meanwhile, her cousin Omar Almouisati and his family are currently stuck in Jordan, according to CBC. Almouisati, his wife and three daughters fled Syria in late 2012, as bombs rained down on the neighbourhood they were living in near Damascus. Amani Sulaiman and her family recently resettled in Canada. A few months later, Sulaiman decided to follow her cousin. U.S. pushes UN to demand truce in Syria's eastern Ghouta, Damascus Giving life for life Syrian refugees line up to give blood in St. The two families lived in Jordan, but only the Sulaimans were granted refugee protection in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

arrests: The challenge, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, comes as advocates, attorneys and judges have complained about courtroom arrests under President Donald Trump, according to Metro News. Courtroom arrests happened under President Barack Obama's administration but attorneys have said the pace appears to have picked up under Trump. The petition filed in the Supreme Judicial Court cites immigrants including a woman who wants to renew a restraining order against her abusive ex-husband who are too afraid to enter state and local courthouses out of fear of deportation. When people fear our judicial system, that undermines the very fabric of our society and weakens communities, said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, one of the groups that filed the petition on the immigrants' behalf. Sensitive locations where enforcement is generally avoided include schools, hospitals and places of worship.ICE says it is targeting convicted criminals, gang members and public safety threats at courthouses as well as immigrants who have been previously deported or ordered to leave. Despite pressure from advocates to declare courthouses sensitive locations generally free from immigration enforcement, federal officials in January formalized a policy to send agents to federal, state and local courthouses to make arrests. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

community services: Between 2011 and 2016, almost 30 per cent of immigrants 356,930 people made Toronto their new home, according to Toronto Star. The good news for savvy students with a good knowledge of two or more languages, that influx of newcomers could translate to jobs getting them settled and helping them navigate legal, health or community services. And the latest census numbers indicate multicultural Toronto is still the destination of choice for the majority of them. Many colleges and universities offer translation courses, among them University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Certificates in Translation At U of T, students can earn language certificates in 16 languages, and obtain translation certificates in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Students can also take advantage of flexible online learning approaches. Programs focus on formalizing translation skills and gaining a good understanding of the theory and practice of translation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ethiopian aliyah: Although many are practicing Jews, Israel doesn't consider them Jewish, meaning their immigration requires special approval, according to Metro News. Alisa Bodner, a spokeswoman for the Struggle for Ethiopian Aliyah, called on Israel to resolve their plight without further delay. Nearly 8,000 Ethiopians are hoping for Israel to approve their immigration, allowing them to join their families in Israel. The families see the issue as part of an inconsistent and discriminatory immigration policy. Bodner said the issue is expected to come up in a government committee at an unknown date. Parliament approved a 2019 budget early Thursday with no allocation for the Ethiopians' immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family: The work is the same, according to CBC. They work on a farm, they make everything at home the same just a bit different. When we met the Hutterites, it's the exact same as in my country, said Alhamud. Alhamud, his wife and three children came to Canada from Syria after being sponsored by a family from the Green Acres Hutterite colony. Brandon churches band together to help settle Syrian family Southwestern Manitoba town aims to welcome three refugee families Waldner describes himself as more open-minded than many in his community, and when he heard about the Syrian refugee crisis, he felt compelled to do something. Now, the Alhamuds are like family to Paul Waldner a teacher in the southwestern Manitoba colony near Wawanesa, about 35 kilometres southeast of Brandon whose family sponsored Alhamud and his family. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

finance minister: We're asking the National Assembly, including the Liberals, to recognize the fact that none of the political parties here is racist, said CAQ MNA Genevieve Guilbault, according to CTV. The Liberals blocked the motion, but the explosive issue is staying front and centre. Still stewing over accusations, the CAQ decided to table a motion Thursday. It's a serious accusation, it's unacceptable, it's dirty politics, and I think the Liberals just crossed the line. There was no apology from the finance minister, who instead said, I've said what I have to say about that. Philippe Couillard must immediately order his minister to apologize, to withdraw his comments, said Legault. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maru mora-villalpando: But in December, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent her a notice to appear in immigration court, according to Metro News. An officer's report in her case said she came to the agency's attention because she discussed her unlawful status in a newspaper interview last year. Dozens of supporters greeted Maru Mora-Villalpando, 47, as she arrived outside a downtown Seattle building for her first deportation hearing.A Mexico City native who overstayed a visa issued in 1996, Mora-Villalpando says she has had no convictions or contacts with police that might normally trigger deportation proceedings. The report also cited her extensive involvement with anti-ICE protests and Latino advocacy programs. An attorney for the Justice Department, Brent Campbell, told U.S. Immigration Judge Brett Parchert that the government would oppose that motion, and Parchert gave him until April 9 to file a written response.ICE has repeatedly denied targeting anyone for political reasons and called such allegations irresponsible, speculative and advocates around the country have cited other cases, including deportation proceedings against Eliseo Jurado, the husband of an immigrant activist in Boulder, Colorado, who sought sanctuary from deportation in a church, and Ravi Ragbir, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago who leads the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City. She cited that statement in a motion filed Monday arguing that the proceedings should be dismissed as a violation of her free-speech rights. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

niagara college: From growing to software to sales, opportunities could abound for those with in-demand skill sets, according to Toronto Star. Though cannabis-specific programs are still few and far between, there are a handful of academic institutions that have been quick to respond to the new job market with courses that help ready students for a new career. One of the upshots of the impending legalization of marijuana this summer is a burgeoning job market. Commercial Cannabis Production CCP Niagara College Canada's first-ever post-secondary credential program launches this fall at Niagara College. Interest from prospective students has been huge. The year-long commercial cannabis production program will train students in the cultivation of cannabis, as well as provide them with in-depth knowledge of Health Canada's regulatory framework that will govern the industry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

palestinian refugees: Read more U.S. withholds 65M in UN aid for Palestinian refugees This is not aimed at punishing anyone' Article Continued Below Israeli leaders criticize Palestinian president for fiery anti-Trump speech Israelis voice warnings, Palestinians talk of blackmail' after Trump threatens to cut funding If UNRWA would not exist, if these services were not provided, the security of region would be severely undermined, Guterres told reporters at the conference's conclusion, according to Toronto Star. Now it is very clear, it is absolutely essential, that the extraordinary unanimity in political support to UNRWA and its activities translates itself into cash. react-empty 144 The agency, the oldest and largest UN relief program in the Middle East, provides health care, education and social services to an estimated 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. But he said a long way is in front of us to fully fund the agency, which went into the conference facing a 446 million gap in financing this year the worst funding crisis in its 68-year history. They are the refugees or descendants of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who either fled or were forced from their homes during the war that led to Israel's establishment in 1948. The Trump administration announced in January it was slashing 65 million this year. Guterres told the conference that cutting sanitation, health care and medical services in already poverty-wracked and conflict-ridden areas would have severe impact a cascade of problems that could push the suffering in disastrous and unpredictable directions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right step: The move is meant to keep the current three-party coalition in power and avoid the possibility of an early election, according to CTV. I'm sure that a decision to create a new government is the right step, Fico said. President Andrej Kiska accepted the resignation and asked Peter Pellegrini, Fico's deputy prime minister, to form a new government. An early election would not bring any stability. I'm not going anywhere, Fico said. Fico, who has led three Slovak governments in recent years, said he had no plans to leave politics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: Police allege the man would tell Syrian refugees currently living in Qatar that he could help them immigrate to Canada through a church sponsorship program, according to CTV. Police allege he defrauded at least eight families so far of more than 200,000 and say they believe there are many more victims. Halton regional police say they learned of the allegations through a community volunteer group in Toronto, which was alerted of the suspected fraud from family members of some of the victims. They say the unnamed church he implicated in the alleged scheme was not involved in any way and has co-operated with the investigation. Police acknowledge the ongoing investigation is complicated by the circumstances of the alleged victims, but urge anyone with information to come forward. Police say Bashar Abdulahad from Burlington, Ont., is facing eight counts of fraud over 5,000 and one count of money laundering. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec prison: Yahya, husband Mohammad Shafia and their son, Hamed, were each found guilty in 2012 on four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, according to The Chronicle Herald. The bodies of sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, and Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, Mohammad Shafia's childless first wife in a polygamous marriage, were found in June 2009 in a car submerged in a canal in Kingston, Ont. But the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada's expulsion order for Tooba Yahya will be executed only when she is released from a Quebec prison, her lawyer, Stephane Handfield, said in an interview. The Crown argued at trial the women were murdered because they refused to abide by the family's rules. The family was originally from Afghanistan and lived in Montreal. Court heard that notions of honour, directly tied to women's sexuality and general control over their behaviour, led the Shafias to kill in an effort to cleanse them of the shame they perceived their daughters to have brought upon them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

somali mother: Abdoul arrived in Canada as a six-year-old child, and is a product of this country, according to The Chronicle Herald. His deportation should be halted. As migration scholars and detention experts, we will show that while perhaps lawful, this deportation is the accumulation of governmental historical, social and moral failures. Abdoul was born in Saudi Arabia to a Somali mother, and spent four years in a Djibouti refugee camp. With his mother deceased, Abdoul arrived in the care of his sister and aunts. Eighteen years ago, he was only six years old when he claimed asylum in Nova Scotia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

somali-canadian youth: Youth advocate Dunia Nur told the committee that as a young woman of colour from a community impacted by racism and hate-motivated crimes she is basically everything that the research in the report did not include, according to CBC. Edmonton council to ponder LGBTQ2 advisory committee Edmonton's Indigenous and Somali-Canadian youth join forces to combat racism Make ItAwkward campaign seeks 'everyday activists' to join discrimination battle Nur, who worked with inmates before moving to the school system, said the research left out everyone that basically poverty directly affects, including incarcerated individuals or residents of subsidized housing. The city's community and public services committee met Wednesday to discuss a 44-page report that included survey results of Edmontonians' experiences of racism, feedback from community groups, and an inventory of current efforts. She said black community members have shared their trauma and offered solutions and yet when I read the report and the outcome, all it really spoke about is further engagement needs to take place. The way that this research has been conducted is a prime example of racism and how racism is enacted in our community and our city.'- Dunia Nur, youth advocate I say this in the most authentic and respectful manner that the way that this research has been conducted is a prime example of racism and how racism is enacted in our community and our city, she said. Youth advocate Dunia Nur Andrea Huncar/CBC Nur said community volunteers have given freely of their time and expertise, and insisted paid consultants should be hired from communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian: Not by a long shot, according to National Observer. Unexpectedly, Trudeau's India expedition ripped open the wounds caused by the 1985 Air India bombing when it was revealed that Jaspar Atwal, convicted of attempted murder for his role in a 1986 attack on an Indian politician, was photographed with Sophie Gr goire Trudeau at a Canadian government reception in Delhi. ; It was all too much for Canadian media and the public. This thing isn't over yet. Prior to Trudeau's trip, Indian media had unleashed a blizzard of criticism of the Liberal government, essentially accusing it of complicity in Sikh terrorism. For a convicted terrorist to be found at a Canadian government reception in India was unthinkable. On February 12, Outlook India said of the Trudeau visit A new real threat of Khalistani terror, fuelled and funded by foreign gurudwaras patronised by liberal white politicians, has revived memories of a blood-drenched era of Punjab's history. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

concession road: Back then, Toronto was industrializing rapidly, according to NOW Magazine. Immigrants were pouring in and the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway the predecessor to the Grand Trunk and Canadian National ran trains out of a station near the site of the present Union Station. In a city that had only the beginnings of horse-drawn public transit, social differences were more pronounced in Toronto of 1857, where all but the richest had to live within walking distance of their work. Beyond its growing historic core north of Bloor First Concession Road until 1855 streets were surveyed but most of the land was Park Lots cleared of forest and converted to farms and market gardens. West of Yonge, the 50-hectare block bounded by College, Yonge, Queen and University and known as Macaulaytown, was settled by fugitive African-American slaves. There were some pockets of development, including landed estates, farmsteads, villages and the beginnings of towns that are now part of a greater city that has no clear boundaries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.