immigrantscanada.com

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

mary bay: About 85 of the 110 people who came to Newfoundland this week have no direct connection to the events of August 11, 1986, he said, according to The Waterloo Record. It was a key moment for all Tamil Canadians. "It touched all of us ... most of us came as refugees," said Kanapathipillai, 29, who wasn't even born when this group of refugees arrived and has no familial connection to the event. Related Stories Reunion planned in Newfoundland for... Gary Anandasangaree: Accepting... Organizer Sarujan Kanapathipillai said the 30th anniversary commemorations were not only for the four refugees who returned with their families. He was simply moved by the story. Mary Bay by fishing boat captain Gus Dalton. The two 10-metre-long open lifeboats carrying about 150 refugees were found in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

terrorists spies: The government alleges the Egyptian-born Jaballah, 54, is a member of terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies, according to Brandon Sun. It has been trying to deport him through a national security certificate — a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies from abroad — but the case has meandered through the legal system for years. It is the latest twist in a saga that stretches back 17 years. Jaballah arrived with his family in Canada in 1996 using a false Saudi passport. In May, Federal Court Justice Dolores Hansen ruled the government had not established reasonable grounds to believe that Jaballah is a danger to Canadian security. He sought refugee status on the basis he was wanted by Egyptian authorities on charges of inciting violence, and that he would be killed if sent back.A Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigation led to the first of three security certificates being issued against him, the most recent dating from early 2008. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

birth tourism: There are more and more people coming in and approaching us, according to CTV. Davidson said he typically sees two types of clients. We sense there a growing demand in birth tourism from several countries, especially considering the instability in today world, Alex Davidson, an immigration consultant and managing partner of the Toronto-based LP Group, told CTV News. Some are wealthy individuals, often from European countries, who want a second passport for their children and are able to pay anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000 to deliver a baby in Canada. Others are people from poor, crime-ridden countries who want to provide security for their children, and hope that their Canadian babies can provide an anchor in the country for the rest of the family. Davidson said some of his recent clients have included U.K. residents worried about the post-Brexit future once their country leaves the European Union. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: The story of Jonathan Nicola made headlines around the world in April when Canada Border Services Agency detained the 6-foot-9 Grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School for misrepresenting himself as a 17-year-old so he could study in Canada, according to Toronto Star. Nicola was to appear at an admissibility hearing Friday before an Immigration and Refugee Board tribunal to determine if he should be allowed to remain in Canada or be immediately deported. By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 Canadian border officials have withdrawn their request for an admissibility hearing for a 29-year-old Sudanese man who allegedly posed as a teenager to play on a Windsor high school basketball team. However, CBSA made a surprise application to cancel the hearing.CBSA spokesperson Nancy Thomson would not comment on Nicola case but said there are a number of reasons why a case could be withdrawn or adjourned including the nature of the evidence, issues related to procedural fairness or another process that may deem the hearing unwarranted at the time. But there have been times even if officials were wrong, they would stick to it once they started the proceedings. Article Continued Below There are a minority of cases where CBSA has withdrawn the request for a hearing, said veteran immigration lawyer Raoul Boulakia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship immigration: The family bid was denied on the grounds that 13-year-old Nicolas Montoya has Down syndrome and would place an excessive burden on the Canadian health-care system, according to Hamilton Spectator. Rules stipulate that if one member of a group application is inadmissible for permanent residency, the ruling applies to everyone else as well. Felipe Montoya had been working at York University as a tenured professor of environmental studies when he and his family submitted their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. But Montoya says the decision handed down earlier this year was overturned last week through "ministerial intervention" on compassionate grounds. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration did not immediately respond to request for comment. Montoya and his family returned to their native Costa Rica in June, but say they will now begin the process of preparing to move back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

st edition: This year jury will be announced at a later date, as TIFF continues to spend the summer unveiling its full lineup, according to Globe and Mail. The 41st edition of TIFF runs from Sept. 8 to 18. Those visions include Jenkins already-buzzy awards contender Moonlight, which focuses on one young man struggle with his sexuality; Kurosawa supernatural fantasy Daguerrotype ; Bonello Nocturama, a sure-to-be-controversial look at young terrorists on the loose in Paris; and Larrain Jackie, a biopic of Jacqueline Kennedy starring Natalie Portman . Last year jury consisted of an impressive array of international talent, including France Claire Denis, Poland Agnieszka Holland and China'a Jia Zhang-Ke, whose 2000 film Platform helped inspire the program. Report Typo/Error Follow us on Twitter: @Globe Arts (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

doaa elghobashy: And if Doaa Elghobashy further chooses to wear a hijab in competition — unlike teammate Nada Meawad — as an act of piety, guess that would render Kristina Valjas and Jamie Broder godless harlots, according to Toronto Star. When the implication was put to the Canadians in the mixed zone Thursday, after they defeated the duo from Egypt in straight sets — 21-12, 21-16 — in their last pool group match, they were momentarily nonplussed. By Rosie DiManno Columnist Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 RIO DE JANEIRO—If the Egyptian lady beach volleyball players in their shin-length pants and long-sleeved tops are modest Muslims, does that make their Canadian opponents in flesh-flashing itsy-bitsy bikinis shameless exhibitionists Because if one posit is true, and a statement of propriety, then surely the opposite concept would hold. Believe me, nobody wants to express an opinion that might be interpreted as Islamaphobic. We're comfortable playing in bikinis and that what we choose. I think it great that everyone is able to choose what they're comfortable playing in, said Broder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration officer: I was denied entry into Dubai because I am transgender and it absolutely disgusts me that this kind of discrimination still goes on, she said in a You Tube video recorded in the airport departures lounge and posted Thursday, according to CTV. It so not fair and it so sad, to be honest, because I knew this kind of discrimination existed. Immigration officials denied Gorgeous entry into the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, she says, forcing her to leave the country. The model, who was born and raised in Canada and later moved to the U.S., said she was excited to visit Dubai despite knowing about discriminatory laws against LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates. After a 12-hour flight, an immigration officer refused to stamp her passport and instead asked her and her body guard to step into a separate room. I wanted to see Dubai, I've heard great things amongst the negative, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jonathan nicola: Nicola was to appear at an admissibility hearing Friday before an Immigration and Refugee Board tribunal to determine if he should be allowed to remain in Canada or be immediately deported, according to Metro News. However, CBSA made a surprise application to cancel the hearing.CBSA spokesperson Nancy Thomson would not comment on Nicola case but said there are a number of reasons why a case could be withdrawn or adjourned including the nature of the evidence, issues related to procedural fairness or another process that may deem the hearing unwarranted at the time. The story of Jonathan Nicola made headlines around the world in April when Canada Border Services Agency detained the 6-foot-9 Grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School for misrepresenting himself as a 17-year-old so he could study in Canada. There are a minority of cases where CBSA has withdrawn the request for a hearing, said veteran immigration lawyer Raoul Boulakia. Officials will ask that an admissibility hearing be cancelled if the subject has left the country, agrees to leave voluntarily or has filed an asylum claim. But there have been times even if officials were wrong, they would stick to it once they started the proceedings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lieutenant governors: Other Lieutenant Governors and Territorial Commissioners from across Canada were also in attendance, according to The Chronicle Herald. H Capt George was a member of the Armed Forces in his home country of Lebanon when civil war broke out in 1975, and his experience in that conflict before coming to Canada involved the death of close friends in combat. H Capt Fred George, O.N.S., M.S.M. was presented the honour by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, during the Presentation of Canadian Honours ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on July 13. He said he has always been supportive of the CAF and RCN, and after his retirement as President of mining firm Gammon Gold in 2009, decided to devote a significant amount of his time and resources toward the CAF community. I look at them differently than some other civilians might. So that is why I've always had a soft spot for all the men and women in uniform. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lopez alonzo: The now-64-year-old Lopez served with an elite unit of the Guatemalan army and is among four former soldiers accused in the massacre who were arrested after heading to the United States, according to The Chronicle Herald. Two are now serving time in American prisons for immigration crimes related to the killings and one was deported and sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Soon after Santos Lopez Alonzo landed in Guatemala City Wednesday on a charter flight for American deportees, advocates for victims' relatives said they hoped he'd be held accountable for the onslaught that wiped out the small village of Las Dos Erres in 1982. "We are very happy they deported him and that he must now face Guatemalan justice, above all, for the victims, who have always demanded justice," said Francisco Vivar, an advocate for victims. In an interview last week at a California immigration detention facility, Lopez said he guarded women and children during the massacre but killed no one. He fought his deportation but a federal appeals court last month refused to block his return to Guatemala. He told the Associated Press that he didn't fear Guatemala investigation of the killings, but was afraid he would be tortured in his country as payback for assisting the U.S. government with its prosecution of one of his ex-comrades. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lopez alonzo: Now 38, Osorio Cristales said he is willing to travel to Guatemala to testify against that former soldier, Santos Lopez Alonzo, who was deported Wednesday from the United States, according to Metro News. He is wanted in the 1982 massacre of more than 200 people in the Guatemalan village during the height of the country civil war."There nothing left for him but to face justice," Osorio Cristales told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Canada, where he was given asylum. "He has to pay for what he did."The more than three decades-long civil war in Guatemala claimed at least 200,000 lives before ending in 1996, with the U.S.-backed army responsible for most of the deaths, according to findings of an independent truth commission set up to investigate the bloodshed. Ripped from his village, which was decimated by the soldiers, Osorio Cristales said he found himself living with a soldier who ordered him to call him "Dad," refused to answer questions about where he came from and made him toil in the pineapple crops while subjecting him to years of physical abuse. Soldiers were sent to the village of Las Dos Erres in December 1982 to search for weapons believed stolen by rebels, but rounded up innocent men, women and children, raping girls and bludgeoning the villagers with a sledgehammer. Authorities issued arrest warrants for 17 soldiers, including Lopez, and five who have been sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Years later, investigators dug up more than 160 skeletons at the village well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nature: If anything become clear while watching the star-spangled spectacle unfold south of the border, it this: nature -- in this case, human nature -- abhors a vacuum, according to Rabble. The context is evident. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. Growing inequality. The rise of the precariat. Gutted infrastructure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

okroshka: Order this photo Executive chef John Horne and chef de cuisine Coulson Armstrong of Canoe, where Russian cold soup okroshka is gaining popularity, according to Toronto Star. Order this photo By Karon Liu Food Writer Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 Gazpacho gets the glory when it comes to chilled, summery soups, but for centuries Russian moms have been keeping it cool with okroshka , a silky cold yogurt soup containing diced cucumber, radish, dill, potatoes, eggs and ham. Canoe is adding Okroshka to a special menu that celebrates the cuisines across the Rocky Mountains region. But what it doing on the menu at Canoe, the city tent pole of Canadian fine dining Over the last year the downtown restaurant has been holding themed dinners exploring the country regional cuisine and historical roots. Now executive chef John Horne and his cooks have moved to the Prairie region, looking at the cuisine of eastern European settlers in the late 19th century through a new dinner series called Route to the Rockies, which runs till mid-September. A few months ago it looked at First Nations cuisine from Haida Gwaii in B.C., and before that Acadian food along the east coast. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

period year: The number of unfilled jobs in Canada fell by about 18 per cent in the first quarter of this year, from the same period a year earlier, Stats Can reported on Thursday, according to Huffington Post Canada. This survey has only been running since the beginning of 2015, so long-term comparisons aren't possible. But new numbers from Statistics Canada show that the labour shortage some employers have been complaining about is evaporating, even as the feds prepare to expand the temporary foreign worker program this fall. But the 328,000 vacant jobs recorded in the first quarter of this year are the lowest since the survey began. These results appear to be good news for businesses, since they reflect a smaller labour shortage in most activity sectors, Caisse Desjardins senior economist Benoit Durocher wrote in a client note. It down from around 400,000 vacant jobs in the same quarter of 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summer camp: They are the scenes etched in the memories of kids, aged 13-19, attending a summer camp for recent Syrian immigrants who landed in Windsor, according to CBC. It helping them adjust to life here and at the same time helping them work through the lasting trauma they experienced overseas. "Like one of the girls, she saw her sister dying ... and her mother got paralysed ... lost one of her eyes," said camp organizer Hiba Hijazi. Pictures of tanks, guns and bombing fighter jets, all drawn by young Syrian teens. The pictures will be sewn together to make a quilt they will take to their school, Westview Freedom Academy, next month. Pictures of tanks, guns and bombing fighter jets, all drawn by young Syrian teens attending a summer camp in Windsor. The camp began on July 13 at the offices of Windsor Women Working with Immigrant Women in downtown Windsor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasn t: About 85 of the 110 people who came to Newfoundland this week have no direct connection to the events of August 11, 1986, he said, according to Metro News. It was a key moment for all Tamil Canadians."It touched all of us ... most of us came as refugees," said Kanapathipillai, 29, who wasn't even born when this group of refugees arrived and has no familial connection to the event. Organizer Sarujan Kanapathipillai said the 30th anniversary commemorations were not only for the four refugees who returned with their families. He was simply moved by the story. Mary Bay by fishing boat captain Gus Dalton. The two 10-metre-long open lifeboats carrying about 150 refugees were found in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: Tamil 'boat people' returning to St, according to CBC. Mary Bay 30 years after rescue by local skipper The drama — then and now — is being made into a film by documentary maker Cyrus Sundar Singh, who accompanied former refugees and their families to Newfoundland. Mary Bay 30 years ago, returned to the area to be reunited with their rescuers. The return journey started in Holyrood, where the group saw the lifeboats that brought them to the province on Aug. 11, 1986, a sight that was overwhelming for some. Four of the Sri Lankans visiting Thursday were among 155 Tamils found adrift near St. Two of the former refugees are overcome with emotion as they remember their harrowing journey to Newfoundland. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hunger strike: Dear Immigration Detainee,I'm writing to update you on what been happening regarding your increasingly urgent struggle for human rights while you've been held in jail, according to NOW Magazine. While too many people still don't know about your plight, lately the media have been paying a fair amount of attention to people like you. Clair East July 19 called for the release of immigration detainees. The news has mostly been about the 60 detainees at the Toronto East Detention Centre and the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay who went on hunger strike in July. They want an end to their living nightmare. They did so to draw attention to their abysmal treatment by the Canada Border Services Agency and the fact that they're being held in custody without charge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law degree: Back home in Pakistan, I was a lawyer, according to NOW Magazine. After high school, I did my BA in social sciences and history and my master degree at the University of the Punjab in Lahore. I took driving instructor training at Centennial College in-car instruction program and then got the in-class diploma. After that I did my law degree at the University of Karachi and started working as a lawyer. In the beginning, I did various jobs - working at a donut shop and at different companies - and then decided to do the driving instructor course. Later I decided to immigrate to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lopez alonzo: The now-64-year-old Lopez served with an elite unit of the Guatemalan army and is among four former soldiers accused in the massacre who were arrested after heading to the United States, according to Brandon Sun. Two are now serving time in American prisons for immigration crimes related to the killings and one was deported and sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Soon after Santos Lopez Alonzo landed in Guatemala City Wednesday on a charter flight for American deportees, advocates for victims' relatives said they hoped he'd be held accountable for the onslaught that wiped out the small village of Las Dos Erres in 1982."We are very happy they deported him and that he must now face Guatemalan justice, above all, for the victims, who have always demanded justice," said Francisco Vivar, an advocate for victims. In an interview last week at a California immigration detention facility, Lopez said he guarded women and children during the massacre but killed no one. He fought his deportation but a federal appeals court last month refused to block his return to Guatemala. He told the Associated Press that he didn't fear Guatemala investigation of the killings, but was afraid he would be tortured in his country as payback for assisting the U.S. government with its prosecution of one of his ex-comrades. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasn t: About 85 of the 110 people who came to Newfoundland this week have no direct connection to the events of August 11, 1986, he said, according to Brandon Sun. It was a key moment for all Tamil Canadians."It touched all of us ... most of us came as refugees," said Kanapathipillai, 29, who wasn't even born when this group of refugees arrived and has no familial connection to the event. Organizer Sarujan Kanapathipillai said the 30th anniversary commemorations were not only for the four refugees who returned with their families. He was simply moved by the story. Mary Bay by fishing boat captain Gus Dalton. The two 10-metre-long open lifeboats carrying about 150 refugees were found in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aren t: Just six per cent told the firm they aren't worried at all in a survey conducted last week, according to Huffington Post Canada. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C. By comparison, 42 per cent said they are "very" or "moderately" worried about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton becoming president. According to numbers from Insights West released on Tuesday, 79 per cent of Canadians say they are "very" or "moderately" concerned about the possibility the wildly-controversial Republican could win the White House. Forty-nine per cent said they are "not too concerned" or not concerned at all about the possibility she could win. Sixty-four per cent told the firm it would be "very bad for Canada" if Trump wins, while another 14 per cent said it would be "bad." That represents a 16-per cent spike from when the question was asked the same time last year. A strong majority also thinks a Trump presidency would be a nightmare for this country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship immigration: The family bid was denied on the grounds that 13-year-old Nicolas Montoya has Down Syndrome and would place an excessive burden on the Canadian health-care system, according to CTV. Rules stipulate that if one member of a group application is inadmissible for permanent residency, the ruling applies to everyone else as well. Felipe Montoya had been working at York University as a tenured professor of environmental studies when he and his family submitted their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. But Montoya says the decision handed down earlier this year was overturned last week through "ministerial intervention" on compassionate grounds. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration did not immediately respond to request for comment. Montoya and his family returned to their native Costa Rica in June, but say they will now begin the process of preparing to move back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government policy: A study underway at Western University is examining how the war-torn experiences of newly arrived young Syrian refugees might affect their ability to cope in the classroom, and researcher Mazen El-Baba hopes the findings will go a long way towards improving everything from teachers' lesson plans to community programs to government policy, according to CTV. He says many new arrivals have not been to school in years and will almost definitely struggle in September. "My fears are of the teacher not being able to understand where to begin," El-Baba says of what sparked the study, still in its data-gathering phase. "It different than teaching another kid the basics because you're dealing with more mature children who are well aware that their level is way behind their actual class. For those shattered by early psychological trauma, it can be especially fraught with emotion. There a lot of difficulties. Then there bullying, which he calls "a huge, huge problem" given the experiences of some Syrian kids who ventured into Canadian classrooms this past spring. "All the kids we know that went to school, all the parents were telling us: 'We need help in September because our kids are being beaten up and spit at at school.' I know a six-year-old who was being hit by various other in his class." The study involves 81 children and a battery of tests conducted in English and Arabic. I really, really hope the school boards are prepared for it." He points to a nine-year-old he knows who will enter Grade 5 despite not knowing what plus and minus are, and a 16-year-old who will enter Grade 10 despite only having a Grade 5 education. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

growth innovation: And it seems like governments are also starting to take notice, according to Huffington Post Canada. The Vancouver Economic Commission has produced this slick video to promote the city to the global tech community, while the provincial government introduced a $100 million venture capital fund in support of growth and innovation late last year. The word is out on the economic impact that the industry has on the B.C. economy , and there is palpable and boundless optimism for the future. But while the VEC trumpets Bloomberg Businessweek designation of Vancouver being a "new tech hub" that offers "world-class talent and few immigration headaches" as well as "great views in a convenient time zone," I believe that the tech community has a duty to be far more discerning with labels and premature designations. Digging deeper into this 2015 Compass Global Startup Ecosystem Rankings report, however, provides some concerning facts when it comes to considering the city current and future competitiveness. Don't get me wrong - I am very aware of Vancouver status as one of the top 20 global cities in which to launch a startup. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.