canada borders: The vast majority of border encounters are brief and routine, according to Huffington Post Canada. But a few present serious problems - especially when an individual wanting to enter or remain in Canada has not met the legal requirements set by Parliament to do so and cannot be identified with certainty, is a flight risk or threatens the safety of Canadians. CBSA carries a serious and difficult responsibility under the law - to protect the integrity of Canada borders and to keep Canadians safe, while also facilitating the free and legitimate movement of both people and trade. In these limited circumstances, CBSA officers are empowered to detain that person until the defects in their status are corrected or security issues are resolved. Given the huge volume of people seeking entry to Canada virtually all the time, it is probably not surprising that there are an average of 400 individuals detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at any given time. It is probably not surprising that there are an average of 400 individuals detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at any given time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

delay things: Syrian refugee girl at a refugee camp in Suruc district of Sanliurfa, Turkey, July 1, according to Huffington Post Canada. Now, political instability in the country in the wake of the military failed efforts to seize power last week is expected to delay things more. "We are continuing to work with the government of Turkey to obtain exit permits as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor the situation,'' said Sonia Lesage, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department. "However, given recent events, we do expect delays." There are an estimated 549 Syrian refugees in Turkey who have been approved to come to Canada but haven't been cleared to travel, and a further 3,815 applications from that country are in progress. "They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us." Among them are several Yazidi families, a Kurdish minority group whose plight is the subject this week of hearings at the House of Commons immigration committee. Securing exit permits for Syrians in Turkey has been a difficult process already, holding up the Liberal government plans last fall to resettle thousands of people from there as part of their landmark program to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada in a matter of months. Their treatment at the hands of Islamic militants was recently termed a genocide by the United Nations human rights panel, and MPs heard graphic testimony Tuesday about some of those atrocities. They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the committee, through a translator. "This continues today against more than 3,000 women and children." Liberals should fast-track Yazidi resettlement: Tories That situation is why the Conservatives argue the Liberals should now fast-track the resettlement of Yazidis to Canada. Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted living in Iraq as militants chased her community up the Sinjar mountains in 2014, a siege that saw thousands killed and taken hostage. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: Almost all are career public servants, with three of them replacing political appointees of the Harper government in the United Kingdom, Iraq and Israel, according to The Chronicle Herald. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion announced the appointment of 26 new ambassadors, high commissioners and others — 13 men, 13 women — in a major shuffle the government says is intended to ensure diplomats represent a wide diversity of Canadians. ——— A longtime adviser to Donald Trump suggests somebody should be fired after an embarrassing flub on the first night of the Republican convention involving stolen snippets of an eight-year-old speech from First Lady Michelle Obama. "It sloppy staff work and somebody should go," Roger Stone said Tuesday. Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan — best known for their interior design shows on HGTV and other networks — were among the passengers whose travel plans were derailed by the arrest of two Air Transat pilots at Glasgow Airport on Monday, shortly before the flight was due to take off. ——— The Trudeau Liberals have replaced several high-profile political appointments made by the previous Conservative government with a major shuffle of the top ranks of Canada foreign service. About seven per cent of the speech was copied almost verbatim. Tax returns are the basis for calculating how much a family receives under the new benefit and internal government estimates peg the tax filing rate on reserves at about 50 per cent. Michelle Obama delivered similar lines in a similar setting eight years ago at a party convention where she was introducing herself to the country. ——— Half of the country aboriginal families living on reserve could miss out on the federal government new child benefit aimed at raising hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of poverty. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government plans: By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Tues., July 19, 2016 OTTAWA—Delays in the resettlement of Syrian refugees from Turkey to Canada are likely to grow even longer after a failed coup attempted there last week, according to Toronto Star. Securing exit permits for Syrians in Turkey has been a difficult process already, holding up the Liberal government plans last fall to resettle thousands of people from there as part of their landmark program to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada in a matter of months. When Islamic State group militants overran Yazidi villages and towns in August 2014, they killed her husband and abducted her daughter, Nazdar, 16, one of thousands of Yazidi girls and women enslaved by the group. Now, political instability in the country in the wake of the military failed efforts to seize power last week is expected to delay things more. However, given recent events, we do expect delays. We are continuing to work with the government of Turkey to obtain exit permits as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor the situation, said Sonia Lesage, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department. (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 Hamilton Spectator. 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 that, of 546 people reviewed, three identified as Yazidi, a Kurdish minority group that practises 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 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.

islamic militants: They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the House of Commons immigration committee through a translator, according to CTV. Taha was living with her family in northern Iraq in August 2014 when ISIS militants stormed her village and chased her community into the Sinar mountains. Speaking at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted to MPs the atrocities committed against the Kurdish minority group at the hands of Islamic militants. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. Trapped in the remote wilderness, thousands of Yazidis were killed, taken hostage or starved to death. Taha managed to escape with the help of an Iraqi family who lent her an Islamic ID and snuck her away from the chaos under a hijab. Men were slaughtered and women were sold into sex slavery, and scores of Yazidis were killed if they didn't submit to their captors and convert to Islam. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jamaican man: Vivian Lui is a second-generation Chinese Canadian who shared this letter, in part because of its personal resonance: she is dating a Jamaican man, and in the course of their relationship has noticed "subtle ways that I think the Asian community has fear towards the black community." She told CBC Here and Now Gill Deacon that "I think that one of the biggest difficulties is that there not a lot of interaction between Asians and blacks and I think that perpetuates this whole fear." POINT OF VIEW Pride 'firmly rooted in a tradition of protest,' black LGBT community says​​Black Lives Matter flooded with hate mail following Toronto Pride parade sit-in The letter, she went on to say, can help to build bridges between these communities because it discusses shared experiences, such as fighting for rights, recognition and success in Canada, according to CBC. She is also keen to see it shared via more traditional outlets, like community newspapers, so that older generations who may not be active on social media can read it as well. Asians for Black Lives is a letter and Twitter campaign that helps young people talk to their elders about fighting anti-black racism. The letter has been translated into 15 languages. Black people are a part of my life in important ways: they're my friends, my classmates, my partners, and my family. Reaching those older generations is key, she says, in order to shift attitudes within the community. "Asians really value being collective and communal and I think we tend to stay within our own communities ... and so what makes this powerful is realizing that these issues affect all of us." Dear Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother: There something I've wanted to talk with you about. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

speech: The passages in question focused on lessons that Trump wife says she learned from her parents and the relevance of their lessons in her experience as a mother, according to Huffington Post Canada. Manafort said Mrs. Trump star turn at the Republican National Convention Monday night captivated a GOP crowd that had rarely heard from the wife of Donald Trump. Trump was aware of "how her speech was going to be scrutinized'' and said any notion that she picked up portions of Mrs. Melania Trump was accused of directly lifting two passages from a speech first lady Michelle Obama delivered at the 2008 Democratic National Convention for her speech at the Republican National Convention. "I mean, this is, once again, an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down,'' Manafort said. "It not going to work.'' The White House declined to comment on similarities between the two prime-time speeches, but the issue is likely to arise at the daily White House briefing. Obama convention talk was "just absurd.'' He also tried to blame Hillary Clinton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stephanie kirchner: By Stephanie Kirchner, and Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post Tues., July 19, 2016 BERLIN—A 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who police say carried out an ax attack on a German commuter train had pledged loyalty to Daesh before slashing at least five people, in an incident that appeared likely to intensify opposition to Germany influx of migrants, according to Toronto Star. In a video issued by Daesh Amaq news agency, the teenager identifies himself as a soldier of the caliphate and threatens further attacks by the group in every village, city and airport, according to a translation by the SITE intelligence group, which tracks jihadist organizations. Authorities in Germany could not confirm whether the man in the video and the attacker were the same person. I lived among you and in your houses, the Afghan said. I will make you forget the horror of the France operation, a reference to an attack Thursday in Nice, France, that killed 85 people and injured more than 300. I will slaughter you in your houses and tear you apart. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

yazidi families: Now, political instability in the country in the wake of the military failed efforts to seize power July 15 is expected to delay things more. "We are continuing to work with the government of Turkey to obtain exit permits as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor the situation," said Sonia Lesage, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department. "However, given recent events, we do expect delays." There are an estimated 549 Syrian refugees in Turkey who have been approved to come to Canada but haven't been cleared to travel, and a further 3,815 applications from that country are in progress, according to Hamilton Spectator. Among them are several Yazidi families, a Kurdish minority group whose plight is the subject this week of hearings at the House of Commons immigration committee. Securing exit permits for Syrians in Turkey has been a difficult process already, holding up the Liberal government plans last fall to resettle thousands of people from there as part of their landmark program to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada in a matter of months. Their treatment at the hands of Islamic militants was recently termed a genocide by the United Nations human rights panel, and MPs heard graphic testimony Tuesday about some of those atrocities. They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the committee, through a translator. "This continues today against more than 3,000 women and children." That situation is why the Conservatives argue the Liberals should now fast-track the resettlement of Yazidis to Canada. Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted living in Iraq as militants chased her community up the Sinjar mountains in 2014, a siege that saw thousands killed and taken hostage. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ethno-cultural leaders: No one leaves their country unless inspired by some selfless ideal, or compelled by imperative political or economic reasons, according to Brandon Sun. It was in early September 1891 that Ukrainian settlers came to Canada from western Ukraine. For Ukrainian-Canadians, it is an honour to be recognized by the government and acknowledged as one of the ethno-cultural leaders in our country. This first wave of Ukrainians left their homeland and settled in a wilderness unknown to them, to endure all the trials of a tough pioneering venture in order to establish a new homestead and a new life. These first Ukrainian settlers were of peasant stock or farmers who arrived with a few personal belongings and limited financial means. This first group established numerous new communities that formed a long and almost continuous belt, commencing in the southeastern corner of Manitoba and scattering diagonally across the three Prairie provinces northwest to the Peace River area in northern Alberta. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

worlds campaign: Mindfulness Workshop This full-day workshop on July 21 at CAMH tackles mindful living in African and Caribbean communities in Toronto, according to NOW Magazine. Led by Valerie Mason-John, attendees will learn about mindful breathing, awareness of triggers, coping with fears and more. As excitement builds for Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade and Carnival in the City, a number of events celebrating the city diverse Caribbean community are planned for this week. The workshop, which costs $150, is a fundraiser for the Best of Both Worlds campaign, which seeks to bridge North American mental-health therapies with Haitian Vodou. See listing for more details. The campaign is run by the Office of Transformative Global Health, which works with Haitian immigrants in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

yazidi families: Now, political instability in the country in the wake of the military failed efforts to seize power last week is expected to delay things more. "We are continuing to work with the government of Turkey to obtain exit permits as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor the situation," said Sonia Lesage, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department. "However, given recent events, we do expect delays." There are an estimated 549 Syrian refugees in Turkey who have been approved to come to Canada but haven't been cleared to travel, and a further 3,815 applications from that country are in progress, according to The Waterloo Record. Among them are several Yazidi families, a Kurdish minority group whose plight is the subject this week of hearings at the House of Commons immigration committee. Securing exit permits for Syrians in Turkey has been a difficult process already, holding up the Liberal government plans last fall to resettle thousands of people from there as part of their landmark program to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada in a matter of months. Their treatment at the hands of Islamic militants was recently termed a genocide by the United Nations human rights panel, and MPs heard graphic testimony Tuesday about some of those atrocities. They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the committee, through a translator. "This continues today against more than 3,000 women and children." That situation is why the Conservatives argue the Liberals should now fast-track the resettlement of Yazidis to Canada. Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted living in Iraq as militants chased her community up the Sinjar mountains in 2014, a siege that saw thousands killed and taken hostage. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.