board flight: I just continue doing my artwork, according to CTV. And this artwork, it was never, ever before questioned." Tanavoli said that on July 2, officials at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport took his Iranian passport when he tried to board a flight for speaking engagements at the British Museum and Asia House in London. I am not a political man. He posted on Facebook that he tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue at Iran main passport office. After learning he wouldn't be able to leave the country, Tanavoli returned to his work preparing for an upcoming exhibition in Iran. Tanavoli said last week that Iranian officials had received a complaint that his art work was "disturbing public opinion" and "spreading lies," which he dismissed as "baseless." But after returning to Canada he said he wasn't sure the reason for his being detained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians: By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Sun., July 17, 2016 A group that represents young Asian Canadians is taking an anti-black racism education program to their parents, grannies, uncles and aunties to help break down longstanding tensions between the two minority groups, according to Toronto Star. In light of the backlash against Black Lives Matter, the aftermath of Toronto Pride parade and recent police gun violence in the U.S., hundreds of Asian Canadians plan to launch a letter campaign this week reaching out to elders in their own communities. A group that represents young Asian Canadians is taking an anti-black racism education program to their relatives to help break down longstanding tensions between the two minority groups. The campaign, which follows a similar effort in the United States, aims to create a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence and anti-blackness in Canada Asian diasporas. The reality, though, is that different Asian communities are shaped by race and racism in different ways. The letter is meant to help Asians start having conversations within their own communities about anti-black racism, and specifically, about the anti-black racism that Asians are complicit in, said Ren Ito, a Japanese Canadian from Toronto and one of the organizers of the Canadian campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dance cuisine: Dozens of refugees were joined by Colombia Toronto-based consul general, German Herrera, in what was their first time participating in the World Music Festival at Gage Park, according to Hamilton Spectator. The three-day event, now in its third year, welcomed acts from Cameroon, Colombia, Italy, Mozambique, Senegal and the U.K. promoting musical styles as diverse as bluegrass, hip hop, folk and reggae — including a variety of local artists. And their message was serious: We are not drug dealers. But for this group, it was a chance to showcase more than song, dance and cuisine. "We want Hamiltonians to know our community is not a drug-dealing community," said Carlos Vasquez, president of the Colombian Refugees Association on Saturday. "We are far away from home. We want to integrate." Vasquez "drug dealer" comment stems from remarks made by Hamilton city councillor Lloyd Ferguson back in February. This is our home now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deadline floods: They didn't seek this circumstance -- we did.'' British Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis arrives at the Treasury in central London on July 14, 2016 on the first full day in his new role following his appointment by new prime minister Theresa May, according to Huffington Post Canada. But he said if a surge of new immigrants trying to "beat the deadline'' floods into Britain before it leaves the EU, the Conservative government may have to set a cutoff date. "We may have to say that the right to indefinite leave to remain protection only applies before a certain date,'' Davis said in a separate interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "You have to make those judgments on reality, not speculation.'' A desire to reduce immigration from other EU nations was a key reason many Britons voted last month to leave the EU. Under the bloc rules, EU nationals can move freely among member states, and Britain has seen its population swelled by hundreds of thousands of new arrivals in recent years. Brexit Secretary David Davis dismissed suggestions that the estimated 3 million EU nationals now living in Britain might be forced to leave, telling Sky News that "I want to see a generous settlement for the people here already. Prime Minister Theresa May has been criticized for refusing to guarantee the right of EU citizens to remain in the U.K. after its EU exit -- something that is more than two years away. Britain vote to leave the EU has unleashed political and economic turmoil, as people and markets absorb the uncertainties about the country economic future as it leaves the 28-nation single market of 500 million people. She says she needs to ensure that hundreds of thousands of Britons living in other EU countries get the same protection. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

downtown eastside: The York Theatre, located on Commercial Drive, which Henriquez Partners Architects helped revitilize, according to CBC. These projects are presented as case studies in the book, written by lawyer and activist Marya Cotten Gould. Children of Woodward's' Henriquez' has just released the new book Citizen City, which examines 10 progressive community-minded projects that his firm engaged in. Henriquez calls these projects "children of Woodward's" as they are similar in nature and were built after his firm involvement in the Woodwards building, which is a mixed-use building in the Downtown Eastside containing both market and social housing units. Another is the newly opened Immigrant Services Society of B.C Welcome House Centre, which has residential units with 138 beds for new government-sponsored refugees, as well as rooms for English language classes, employment and settlement programs and other services. "The citizen city is one that inclusive and includes a diverse group of socio-economic and religious people and genders," Henriquez said. Those projects include 250 Powell, a former remand centre that was turned into a building with 96 social housing units, and the York Theatre, a century-old community theatre that his firm revitalized. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

group: Immigration officials also told a House of Commons committee Monday that Yazidis were never highlighted specifically by the Conservatives as a group that should be prioritized for resettlement, even with their targeted approach to resettlement, according to CTV. The data and the testimony Monday give both the Liberal and the Conservative arguments over Canada refugee policy some new energy after the file was a political flashpoint for most of 2015. Data from a controversial audit of Syrian refugee cases ordered by former prime minister Stephen Harper late last spring reveals of 546 people reviewed, three identified as Yazidi, a Kurdish minority group which practices an ancient faith. The Conservatives' areas-of-focus policy drew heavy criticism, with many arguing it flew in the face of international obligations that see the UN choose who is resettled. The Tories put religious minorities in that category, but the data obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information laws suggest the vast majority of landed Syrians whose files were audited were Sunni Muslim, as is the refugee population at large. The Tories argued that they were using the UN criteria, but were drilling down within them to ensure the most vulnerable were helped. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

letter campaign: The campaign, which follows a similar effort in the United States, aims to create a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence and anti-blackness in Canada Asian diasporas, according to Metro News. The letter is meant to help Asians start having conversations within their own communities about anti-black racism, and specifically, about the anti-black racism that Asians are complicit in, said Ren Ito, a Japanese Canadian from Toronto and one of the organizers of the Canadian campaign. In light of the backlash against Black Lives Matter, the aftermath of Toronto Pride parade and recent police gun violence in the U.S., hundreds of Asian Canadians plan to launch a letter campaign this week reaching out to elders in their own communities. The reality, though, is that different Asian communities are shaped by race and racism in different ways. A similar letter effort by Asian Americans was spurred by the recent killings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. And this means that different communities have different needs when it comes to starting conversations about anti-black racism or even about racism in general. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

light-filled adventure: Rayani dropped out of the computer science program at Simon Fraser University and enrolled in Emily Carr University of Art + Design, but left early as the talented programer was scooped up by a company at the forefront of the industry at that time. "It was a risk ... I had no idea, as a Canadian, how I could go to Pixar," said Rayani whose peers were all taking more conservative career paths, according to CBC. Despite this his father encouraged him. When he watched that film he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Everybody favourite blue tang fish goes on a light-filled adventure in Finding Dory thanks to the team Farhez Rayani oversees. "Being a fresh immigrant to Canada he had to start from scratch. My parents decided to leave too — and they chose Canada." After growing up in Vancouver Rayani made another new start after he was hired to work in animation. He always told me always do what you love," said Rayani whose extended family were part of a wave of Indians who fled Uganda and Kenya in the 1970s to restart lives in Canada because of changes and the threat of violence after Idi Amin came to power. "As luck would have it Pierre Trudeau was in power and he opened his arms to many of the East Indians who settled here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

newcomer communities: Language barrier is an issue when it comes to using publicly funded home-care services, according to Metro News. If your mother tongue is not English or if you are not fluent in English, you are less likely to access the care, said Seong-gee Um, who co-authored the study, Ensuring Healthy Aging for All, with Naomi Lightman. Access to these services, such as help with bathing and light housekeeping, also varies drastically among newcomer communities, with visible minority groups least likely to be served, says the report released by the Wellesley Institute on Monday. But it not all about language. Some of these groups may have different expectations of their care and needs. It also has to do with the information they have about these services and how well they navigate the system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

olympic committee: While Monday report makes no recommendations for any discipline against Russia, saying that is not its mandate, the WADA executive board called on the International Olympic Committee to ban all Russian teams from Rio. ——— A new report says Alberta current recession is expected to shrink the economy by more than double the average of the past four recessions, according to The Chronicle Herald. The TD Bank report released Monday said it estimates Alberta economy will contract 6.5 per cent over 2015 and 2016, which would widely exceed the 2.7 per cent average retreat of previous economic downturns going back to the early 1980s. An independent inquiry headed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren alleges a plan to make positive tests in some 30 sports "disappear" was in force in Russia at least from late 2011 to August 2015. The estimate came after TD tripled this year expected GDP decline to three per cent, after factoring in the Fort McMurray fires and a higher than expected drop in industry activity. ——— FEDERAL PAY ISSUES AFFECT MORE THAN 80K: Government officials say more than 80,000 federal employees have experienced problems getting their proper paycheque. The majority of problems involve civil servants who didn't receive proper compensation for overtime and other extraneous payments. Officials apologized Monday for the magnitude of issues created by a new pay system known as Phoenix. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tanavoli: I just continue doing my artwork, according to The Chronicle Herald. And this artwork, it was never, ever before questioned." Tanavoli said that on July 2, officials at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport took his Iranian passport when he tried to board a flight for speaking engagements at the British Museum and Asia House in London. I am not a political man. He posted on Facebook that he tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue at Iran main passport office. Tanavoli son said Iranian officials returned his father passport several days ago, which allowed him to fly to Canada. Tanavoli said last week that Iranian officials had received a complaint that his art work was "disturbing public opinion" and "spreading lies," which he dismissed as "baseless." But after returning to Canada he said he wasn't sure the reason for his being detained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

testimony monday: Immigration officials also told a House of Commons committee Monday that Yazidis were never highlighted specifically by the Conservatives as a group that should be prioritized for resettlement, even with their targeted approach to resettlement, according to CBC. Yazidi refugees settle into life in Winnipeg Syrian refugee sponsorship 'blitz' ends with thousands of arrivals still months away The data and the testimony Monday give both the Liberal and the Conservative arguments over Canada refugee policy some new energy after the file was a political flashpoint for most of 2015. Data from a controversial audit of Syrian refugee cases ordered by former prime minister Stephen Harper late last spring reveals of 546 people reviewed, three identified as Yazidi, a Kurdish minority group which practices an ancient faith. The Conservatives' areas-of-focus policy drew heavy criticism, with many arguing it flew in the face of international obligations that see the UN choose who is resettled. The Tories put religious minorities in that category, but the data obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information laws suggest the vast majority of landed Syrians whose files were audited were Sunni Muslim, as is the refugee population at large. The Tories argued that they were using the UN criteria, but were drilling down within them to ensure the most vulnerable were helped. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wellesley institute: Access to these services, such as help with bathing and light housekeeping, also varies drastically among newcomer communities, with visible minority groups least likely to be served, says the report released by the Wellesley Institute on Monday, according to Toronto Star. Language barrier is an issue when it comes to using publicly funded home-care services. By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Mon., July 18, 2016 Immigrant seniors are less likely than their Canadian counterparts to receive government-funded home care and must count on family, friends and neighbours for help, a new study finds. If your mother tongue is not English or if you are not fluent in English, you are less likely to access the care, said Seong-gee Um, who co-authored the study, Ensuring Healthy Aging for All, with Naomi Lightman. It also has to do with the information they have about these services and how well they navigate the system. But it not all about language. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dance cuisine: Dozens of refugees were joined by Colombia Toronto-based consul general, German Herrera, in what was their first time participating in the World Music Festival at Gage Park, according to The Waterloo Record. The three-day event, now in its third year, welcomed acts from Cameroon, Colombia, Italy, Mozambique, Senegal and the U.K. promoting musical styles as diverse as bluegrass, hip hop, folk and reggae — including a variety of local artists. And their message was serious: We are not drug dealers. But for this group, it was a chance to showcase more than song, dance and cuisine. "We want Hamiltonians to know our community is not a drug-dealing community," said Carlos Vasquez, president of the Colombian Refugees Association on Saturday. "We are far away from home. We want to integrate." Vasquez "drug dealer" comment stems from remarks made by Hamilton city councillor Lloyd Ferguson back in February. This is our home now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

group: Immigration officials also told a House of Commons committee Monday that Yazidis were never highlighted specifically by the Conservatives as a group that should be prioritized for resettlement, even with their targeted approach to resettlement, according to The Waterloo Record. The data and the testimony Monday give both the Liberal and the Conservative arguments over Canada refugee policy some new energy after the file was a political flashpoint for most of 2015. Data from a controversial audit of Syrian refugee cases ordered by former prime minister Stephen Harper late last spring reveals of 546 people reviewed, three identified as Yazidi, a Kurdish minority group which practices an ancient faith. The Conservatives' areas-of-focus policy drew heavy criticism, with many arguing it flew in the face of international obligations that see the UN choose who is resettled. The Tories put religious minorities in that category, but the data obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information laws suggest the vast majority of landed Syrians whose files were audited were Sunni Muslim, as is the refugee population at large. The Tories argued that they were using the UN criteria, but were drilling down within them to ensure the most vulnerable were helped. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

olympic committee: While Monday report makes no recommendations for any discipline against Russia, saying that is not its mandate, the WADA executive board called on the International Olympic Committee to ban all Russian teams from Rio.——— A new report says Alberta current recession is expected to shrink the economy by more than double the average of the past four recessions, according to Brandon Sun. The TD Bank report released Monday said it estimates Alberta economy will contract 6.5 per cent over 2015 and 2016, which would widely exceed the 2.7 per cent average retreat of previous economic downturns going back to the early 1980s. An independent inquiry headed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren alleges a plan to make positive tests in some 30 sports "disappear" was in force in Russia at least from late 2011 to August 2015. The estimate came after TD tripled this year expected GDP decline to three per cent, after factoring in the Fort McMurray fires and a higher than expected drop in industry activity.———FEDERAL PAY ISSUES AFFECT MORE THAN 80K: Government officials say more than 80,000 federal employees have experienced problems getting their proper paycheque. The majority of problems involve civil servants who didn't receive proper compensation for overtime and other extraneous payments. Officials apologized Monday for the magnitude of issues created by a new pay system known as Phoenix. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy: The data and the testimony Monday give both the Liberal and the Conservative arguments over Canada refugee policy some new energy after the file was a political flashpoint for most of 2015, according to National Observer. The Conservatives' areas-of-focus policy drew heavy criticism, with many arguing it flew in the face of international obligations that see the UN choose who is resettled. Immigration officials also told a House of Commons committee Monday that Yazidis were never highlighted specifically by the Conservatives as a group that should be prioritized for resettlement, even with their targeted approach to resettlement. The Tories argued that they were using the UN criteria, but were drilling down within them to ensure the most vulnerable were helped. About three dozen were Christian. The Tories put religious minorities in that category, but the data obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information laws suggest the vast majority of landed Syrians whose files were audited were Sunni Muslim, as is the refugee population at large. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tanavoli: I just continue doing my artwork, according to Brandon Sun. And this artwork, it was never, ever before questioned."Tanavoli said that on July 2, officials at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport took his Iranian passport when he tried to board a flight for speaking engagements at the British Museum and Asia House in London. I am not a political man. He posted on Facebook that he tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue at Iran main passport office. Tanavoli son said Iranian officials returned his father passport several days ago, which allowed him to fly to Canada. Tanavoli said last week that Iranian officials had received a complaint that his art work was "disturbing public opinion" and "spreading lies," which he dismissed as "baseless." But after returning to Canada he said he wasn't sure the reason for his being detained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

blackwood: Natasha Blackwood, who works with the Refugee and Immigrant Advisory Council, said she was baffled when she heard repeatedly that Syrians who moved to Newfoundland and Labrador weren't allowed to drive because they didn't speak English. "I was like: what do you mean they aren't allowed to drive Of course they are allowed drive " Blackwood told the St, according to CBC. John Morning Show. "I've been to foreign countries where I couldn't speak the language and I was able to rent a car. John woman is going the extra mile to help Syrian refugees overcome a road block. Why aren't they allowed to drive " she said. I was like: what do you mean they aren't allowed to drive '- Natasha Blackwood "They said no they have to do it themselves," said Blackwood. "There are no Arabic interpreters — they have to be totally proficient in the English language which takes, like, at least a year and I didn't think that was right. So she called the Department of Motor Vehicle Registration to check it out herself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

committee: Swift action is needed to meet that challenge, according to a compelling new Senate report. "Fine words and open arms . . . alone are not sufficient to address the very real and very urgent problems that lie ahead," warned Sen, according to Hamilton Spectator. Jim Munson, head of the Senate committee on human rights. But an equally important job remains to be done: ensuring that these newcomers put down roots and successfully integrate into their adopted homeland. Rather than waiting to issue its final report, due this fall, the committee released a series of interim recommendations last week urging immediate steps to bolster refugees' language skills, finances and mental health. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau government should heed the committee advice. It quite properly described such measures as a long-term investment in the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

iraqi kurdistan: Private sponsorship groups and the government have been trying to find a way to get refugees out of the area for months, but have been stymied by a lack of Canadian resources on the ground, according to Hamilton Spectator. That the Immigration Department is sending in a team is one result of ongoing political pressure on the Liberal government to continue a flat-out push to resettle refugees in the spirit of the program that saw 25,000 Syrians brought to Canada in a matter of months. It the first time Canadian staff will go to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, expressly for that purpose. This week, the House of Commons immigration committee will apply more pressure. The fact there are few legal avenues beyond private sponsorship for those fleeing conflict to immigrate to Canada on humanitarian grounds is a quirk of United Nations definitions around refugees and displaced people and a resettlement policy that dates back to 1951, said Borys Wrzesnewskyj, the Liberal chair of the committee. They're holding an unprecedented series of summer meetings examining how to use immigration policy to help anyone, not just refugees, displaced by conflict come to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summer meetings: Private sponsorship groups and the government have been trying to find a way to get refugees out of the area for months, but have been stymied by a lack of Canadian resources on the ground, according to Huffington Post Canada. That the Immigration Department is sending in a team is one result of ongoing political pressure on the Liberal government to continue a flat-out push to resettle refugees in the spirit of the program that saw 25,000 Syrians brought to Canada in a matter of months. It the first time Canadian staff will go to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, expressly for that purpose. A Syrian refugee family, sponsored by a local group called Ripple Refugee Project, pose for photos. They're holding an unprecedented series of summer meetings examining how to use immigration policy to help anyone, not just refugees, displaced by conflict come to Canada. This week, the House of Commons immigration committee will apply more pressure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tonne truck: Roch neighbourhood, where the Rolls Royces and designer sunglasses of Nice famous waterfront seem more than a world away, according to Toronto Star. The bus follows the banks of the Paillon river, past Don Bosco High School, a prison and a slaughterhouse before letting passengers off at the gates of a garbage processing facility. By Marco Chown Oved Foreign Affairs Reporter Sun., July 17, 2016 NICE, FRANCE—It only 15 minutes on the number 4 bus from Massena square to the gritty St. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the man who killed 84 people by driving a 17-tonne truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, lived on the fourth floor of a dingy walk-up building here. Unlike Rio de Janeiro, where the impoverished favelas are on the hills, here luxury condos loom over the poor neighbourhood. His name is misspelled on the intercom. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

war resister: It classified war resisters as criminals that were not eligible for residency in Canada under a policy called Operational Bulletin 202. "This is not a game, this is not a joke for me at all," Watson said from First United Church and addressed Trudeau directly. "I can see it in your eyes that you have far more compassion in your heart for than Stephen Harper had, or ever had for any war resister." War resister takes refuge in Vancouver church Drop war-resister policy: rights activists To live his life as an artist, photographer Corey Glass must stay in exile About 200 U.S. soldiers who fled the Iraq war came to Canada, and the policy reads that because deserting the military is a crime, war resisters may not be eligible for asylum, according to CBC. Now, Kwan, MP for Vancouver East, is calling on the Trudeau government to do away with the policy saying it is unfair to people like Watson. "He served in the Iraq war and when he left, he was being recalled to go back, and what he saw was something that prevented him from going back," she said "He is a conscientious objector, he believes strongly in having done the right thing in refusing to go back." Rodney Watson has been living in a Vancouver church for seven years after refusing to return to Iraq as part of the U.S. military. Watson and Kwan were joined by members of the B.C. NDP in calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reverse a policy implemented by the previous Conservative government. Watson said he deserted because of racial hatred he witnessed against Iraqis during his first tour of duty. Canada is estimated to have accepted around 50,000 conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, including Dr. He has a son with a Canadian woman, but says he has never seen the boy outside of his makeshift church home. "His first steps were in this building while I was in sanctuary, I haven't been able to go to school to see his first day at school," said Watson. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

iraqi kurdistan: Private sponsorship groups and the government have been trying to find a way to get refugees out of the area for months, but have been stymied by a lack of Canadian resources on the ground, according to Guelph Mercury. That the Immigration Department is sending in a team is one result of ongoing political pressure on the Liberal government to continue a flat-out push to resettle refugees in the spirit of the program that saw 25,000 Syrians brought to Canada in a matter of months. It the first time Canadian staff will go to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, expressly for that purpose. This week, the House of Commons immigration committee will apply more pressure. The fact there are few legal avenues beyond private sponsorship for those fleeing conflict to immigrate to Canada on humanitarian grounds is a quirk of United Nations definitions around refugees and displaced people and a resettlement policy that dates back to 1951, said Borys Wrzesnewskyj, the Liberal chair of the committee. They're holding an unprecedented series of summer meetings examining how to use immigration policy to help anyone, not just refugees, displaced by conflict come to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city hall: Francelle Maria, who is best known for her time on Canada Got Talent, was among Friday performers. "It great to support the locals and our diversity, as well," said event co-ordinator Danielle Leger, according to CBC. The event is free and Leger hopes the event will highlight Acadian and local cultures, but will also introduce Syrian and immigrant cultures. "More than we realize there a huge influx of immigrants that are coming to Moncton. Food trucks, cultural teachers and musical acts like Ayrad, Papaya, among others, are set up in front of City Hall for the two-day event. I think that as a local it a great opportunity for us to learn about those just joining our city." Festival began July 15 and runs until 7 p.m. tonight Leger said the event features things for all ages including African hair-braiding, Shaiballa bracelets and Chinese and Arabic name singing. Cultural workshops are also planned and will feature topics like Mi'kmaq, Chinese, Russian and Syrian workshops. "Its a great opportunity for them to get to know us, too." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.