manslaughter counts: He was convicted of multiple manslaughter counts, according to Brandon Sun. His Syrian crewmate, Mahmud Bikhit, was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 9 million euros for facilitating illegal immigration. The Tunisian captain, Mohammad Ali Malek, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined 9 million euros. Prosecutors had accused Malek of inadvertently ramming the overloaded fishing boat he was captaining into a cargo ship that had come to its rescue on April 18, 2015. Only 28 survived. The boat flipped after passengers rushed to one side, trying to get off. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

middle name: Justino, who said she added Cyborg as a middle name on her naturalization papers, said coming to the United States has changed her life, according to The Waterloo Record. The first time I went to America, I had the opportunity to fight here and people really appreciate my work and appreciate my sport, she said, while lining up with 2,300 citizenship applicants for the day first ceremony. The 31-year-old from Curitiba, Brazil, was among thousands who took the oath of citizenship at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It an opportunity for me to give back for the American community what they give to me. I can participate more, she said. I can vote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the detention of tens of thousands of people and forced many more from public service jobs in recent months, according to Brandon Sun. On Tuesday, Turkey Interior Ministry said 568 people had been detained across 28 cities in the last two days due to their alleged affiliation with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The EU has watched on because it desperately wants Turkey help and is wary of angering Erdogan. At talks in Brussels, EU foreign and European affairs ministers decided that no new sections of Turkey accession negotiations should be started an attempt to balance their concerns about the crackdown against their need for Ankara to manage Europe refugee crisis. The EU has offered Turkey fast-track membership talks, visa free travel for its citizens and billions to help the Syrian refugees now in Turkey to persuade Ankara to stop tens of thousands of migrants from trying to reach Europe. Attacks on human rights and public freedoms, journalists, university goers, parliamentarians are imprisoned, said France European affairs minister Harlem Desir. Turkey is drifting today. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: The EU has watched on because it desperately needs Turkey to manage the bloc refugee emergency and is wary of angering him, according to The Waterloo Record. The EU has offered Turkey fast-track membership talks, visa free travel for its citizens and billions of euros for Syrian refugees in the country for Ankara to stop tens of thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the detention of tens of thousands of people and forced many more from public service jobs in recent months. But Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said his country will say that it impossible to open new chapters for the accession process, as EU foreign and European affairs ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the bloc expansion. But on membership, he said, it difficult to go further with such a situation in Turkey. Reynders said it is important to co-operate with Turkey to fight terrorism, exchange information about foreign fighters from Europe travelling to Syria and Iraq and to manage the refugee crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump pledge: The CEOs planning to attend include Apple Tim Cook, Alphabet Larry Page, Microsoft Satya Nadella, Amazon Jeff Bezos, Intel Brian Krzanich, IBM Ginni Rometty, Oracle Safra Catz and Cisco Systems Chuck Robbins, according to The Waterloo Record. Facebook chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, will be on hand instead of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who was one of many tech executives to express misgivings about Trump pledge to deport millions of immigrants. On Wednesday, Silicon Valley luminaries and other technology leaders are headed to Trump Tower in New York to make their peace or press their case with Trump and his advisers. It could be a prickly meeting. In an open letter published in July, more than 140 technology executives, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists skewered Trump as a disaster for innovation. No other industry was more open in its contempt for Trump during the campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-immigrant movement: But that was before Donald Trump won the presidency, according to Metro News. Now, the advocates for immigrants find themselves on the defensive in facing Trump, who has been severely critical of current immigration policies.A workshop on how more immigrants can qualify for health care under the Affordable Care Act was changed to Resiliency in Advocating for Immigrant Health in Hostile Environments. Attendees at this year National Immigration Integration Conference were hoping to explore ways to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees and help them integrate into society. And new sessions such as The Organized Anti-Immigrant Movement Who They Are, What They Want, and How We Can Push Back in Trump America are now on the agenda. We absolutely had to do a lot of post-election pivots for this conference, said Stephanie Teatro, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition co-executive director, not only to really meet sort of the moment and have the kind of conversations that immigrants rights advocates need and want to be having right now, but also because the policy landscape has fundamentally shifted. In the biggest assembly of its kind since Trump election, the conference of more than 1,000 immigrants and refugee rights leaders on Monday listened to Tennessee city mayors, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, and singer Emmylou Harris offer guidance in the new Trump age. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anything i: At the border, his 8-year-old daughter looked petrified, according to Toronto Star. Then his 6-year-old son spoke up. SUPPLIED PHOTO By Shree Paradkar Columnist Mon., Dec. 12, 2016 The Friday after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, London, Ont.-based Javeed Sukhera a Muslim was driving to Seattle with his family. Are they going to put us in jail Are they going to shoot us As a child and adult psychiatrist, Sukhera had been dealing with children of refugees and immigrants who were struggling with trauma, but this experience hit home. Sukhera grew up in Toronto where he says he had very little negative experiences for the most part. This is something that much more powerful than anything I d imagined. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbc zakko: While relieved to reach the safety of Canada with their loved ones, they worry they may never find work in their chosen fields here, according to CBC. Were trying, Zakko said. Kasbarsoum was a head and neck surgeon with 10 years experience in Aleppo and Zakko had just graduated from dentistry school before the couple fled their war-torn hometown. The government has given us a chance at a good life... but if there no working, there no money. CBC Zakko and Kasbarsoum were two of hundreds of Syrian refugees who gathered in Montreal Sunday to mark a year since the first group of Syrians arrived in Canada under a federal program that has promised to resettle 25,000 by the end of 2016. George Kasbarsoum and Chama Zakko worry their medical qualifications wont be recognized in Canada, even if they pass a series of exams. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

colleen colman: At other times, they try to restrain themselves and let the newcomers make mistakes and to learn to be independent, according to Metro News. The journey of sponsorship encompasses many sleepless nights, personal sacrifices and challenges, but ultimately, community groups said the means to the end has made it the most rewarding experience they ve ever had. At times, they re like overprotective parents trying to give their kids the best. A personal lesson and professional development event is how Colleen Colman described her experience in the past year working with a group of volunteers in Uxbridge who connected through social media to bring in a family of five the Alkhalifehs from Turkey. I was a tad na ve when I took it on. Marta Iwankek/For Torstar News Service Rahma Alkahalfieh, 11, shows off some of the stuffed animals in her room in Uxbridge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: Certainly opposition to the NDP provincial government carbon levy is part of the message at Levant events, but as happened yesterday when 800 or so of his supporters showed up at a supposedly public meeting in Calgary hotel ballroom, at least some of them started acting like an ugly, bullying mob, according to Rabble. Levant model seems to be the rallies organized by Donald Trump during the recent U.S. presidential election campaign -- but the Alberta versions appear to have a more threatening tone, perhaps because they are closer to home, and to be far less well organized. But seeing as in addition to calls from the podium to remove people who dont support his message, there were credible reports out of Calgary yesterday of death threats levelled against a young woman reporter and someone waving a noose from a hockey stick, surely we can agree to stop calling these ugly events Levant organizes anti-carbon tax rallies. I cant tell you who was waving the noose shown in the photo taken at the rally, posted at the top of this story, but the victim of the death threats was Haley Jarmain, reporting on the event for News 770 in Calgary. Was laughed at. She Tweeted I got death threats. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drama nomination: Fan favourite The Crown scored nominations for best drama series, and acting nods for Claire Foy and John Lithgow, according to The Chronicle Herald. He won an award in 2010 for his murderous supporting role in Dexter. The show managed a best drama nod as well as an acting nomination for Winona Ryder, her first Globe nod since her 1994 win for her supporting role in The Age Of Innocence. HBO titan Westworld got nods for the strong female performances from Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood, and a nomination in the drama category for the show itself. Globes bring big snubs, surprises in film categories This Is Us scored a best drama nomination and acting nods for stars Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore. But the male cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris, were all shut out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fariborz birjandian: Fariborz Birjandian, CEO of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, says the biggest challenge was the volume of refugees who came to Calgary, according to CBC. Bryan Labby Settlement agencies in Alberta are bracing for up to 700 more Syrian refugees while still struggling to cope with a surge of 4,200 who arrived in the first few months of the year. This is Part 1 in a five-part series looking at how those refugees are doing a year in and the effects of that influx on their support agencies. Calgary alone has welcomed 2,400 Syrian refugees with more to come. This is chaos, it not good, says Fariborz Birjandian, CEO of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, one of the lead settlement agencies in Calgary. We dont want 2,000 people in three months nobody wants that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

honey business: My family was tired, tired, tired, said Elfecir, according to CBC. In their hometown of Homs, the 55-year-old worked as a civil servant, cultivating a honey business on the side. The family made the hard decision to leave their home when the brutal, ongoing civil war became too much. Elfecir wife, Dolat Elellus, 43, taught Arabic. We left Syria for our children. Every day ... many families were killed, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration policies: But that was before Donald Trump won the presidency, according to The Chronicle Herald. Now, the advocates for immigrants find themselves on the defensive in facing Trump, who has been severely critical of current immigration policies. Attendees at this year National Immigration Integration Conference were hoping to explore ways to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees and help them integrate into society. A workshop on how more immigrants can qualify for health care under the Affordable Care Act was changed to Resiliency in Advocating for Immigrant Health in Hostile Environments. In the biggest assembly of its kind since Trump election, the conference of more than 1,000 immigrants and refugee rights leaders on Monday listened to Tennessee city mayors, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, and singer Emmylou Harris offer guidance in the new Trump age. And new sessions such as The Organized Anti-Immigrant Movement Who They Are, What They Want, and How We Can Push Back in Trump America are now on the agenda. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

language: English isn t an easy language, and what more, it distant from Arabic, according to Globe and Mail. It not like the differences between Italian and French, or even German and English. It not the government fault, nor that of the refugees, that many have not fully absorbed a new language in a year, the length of the time that the government has indirectly budgeted for. Women refugees, in particular, run the risk of falling behind. They can t learn a language well if they don t have jobs and daycare. If they stay at home, they are apt to become isolated, and they may not learn much more than rudimentary English or French. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ndp mp: Some of the Syrian refugees are wondering if Canada is going to make good on its commitment to resettle them, NDP MP and immigration critic Jenny Kwan said at the news conference, according to Globe and Mail. This is not a message we want to be sending to the international community. The applications involve about 100 people all of whom have family members or friends already living in the Lower Mainland in refugee camps in northern Iraq. The government could do more to ensure privately sponsored refugee applications are processed in a timely fashion, Ms. Kwan said. Kwan said, including seeking assistance in conducting interviews from other agencies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

program: That program allows Canadians to sponsor a refugee family coming to Canada, according to Metro News. University of Ottawa professor Jennifer Bond is among the organizers of the event. The Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative is hosting a three-day conference from Tuesday to Thursday aiming to showcase Canada private refugee sponsorship program. She said Canada system is unique in the world and has a lot to offer. Representatives from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States are coming to the conference. There have been a few very small scale pilots in a couple of jurisdictions, but really Canada is the only country that has a big robust program, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights: Where was the meeting scheduled to take place In a legion hall that can only be reached by climbing a staircase, according to Huffington Post Canada. What did they do next They moved down the street to a caf . A caf where the washrooms were in the basement -- down a long flight of stairs. Last week, Toronto city planners called a public meeting to discuss accessible and affordable public housing. Come on, folks! This is 2016 -- nearly 2017. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be 70 years old in two years. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is ten years old. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday attack: Saturday attack, which a radical Kurdish group claimed as an act of revenge for state violence against the ethnic minority in the southeast, was the deadliest to hit Istanbul this year, according to The Chronicle Herald. Authorities blamed the carnage on the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. A shadowy offshoot of the movement, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the state, claimed responsibility for the attack on a website that is blocked in Turkey. The arrests primarily targeted members of a Kurdish political party that already was a focus of a broader government crackdown. This is definitely a repercussion of the current crackdown on the Kurdish people, said Cenk Sidar, president of Sidar Global Advisors, a risk advisory group in Washington. Turkey, a NATO member and a partner in the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group, faces a myriad of internal and external security threats. It seems likely PKK will go ahead with these high-casualty, low-cost attacks for them, and it is a very dangerous trend in the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

star order: CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR Order this photo Taghreed right draws pictures on the condensation as her brother Mohammad watches, according to Toronto Star. Abdulwahab Alzoubi and his family are getting used to life in Canada a year after resettling here. Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star Order this photo Syrian refugee Marian Basher pours tea in the kitchen of the family new home. Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star The Alzoubi family passport photos. But what the little girl misses most are the grandparents and cousins she left behind in Syria four years ago. Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter George Achi Staff Reporters Mon., Dec. 12, 2016 Taghreed Alzoubi misses the cows, chickens and sheep at the back of her family farmhouse in Daraa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugee: She said the warm welcome she received from Canadians has helped ease the transition, according to Hamilton Spectator. It has been a year since Canada welcomed the first group of Syrians that the government flew out of refugee camps, and both political leaders and refugees marked the occasion over the weekend with a mixture of pride and an acknowledgment of the challenges that remain. Trying to find a job while learning French has been difficult, but I am trying, the 25-year-old Syrian refugee said in English in an interview Sunday. Immigration Minister John McCallum said he would never forget joining Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other cabinet ministers at Toronto Pearson airport on Dec. 10, 2015 to greet the first plane load of refugees. Prime Minister Trudeau also noted the anniversary on Twitter over the weekend and federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who also joined Trudeau in welcoming the first plane load, noted the fond memories she had of that night in a tweet posted Saturday. At a time when many countries closed their doors to refugees, we in Canada said come on in, youre welcome, he said at an event in Montreal on Sunday to mark the anniversary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pennsylvaniaa workshop: But that was before Donald Trump won the presidency, according to Brandon Sun. Now, the advocates for immigrants find themselves on the defensive in facing Trump, who has been severely critical of current immigration policies. Attendees at this year National Immigration Integration Conference were hoping to explore ways to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees and help them integrate into society. Related Items Articles Recount efforts end Trump wins in Wisconsin, PennsylvaniaA workshop on how more immigrants can qualify for health care under the Affordable Care Act was changed to Resiliency in Advocating for Immigrant Health in Hostile Environments. In the biggest assembly of its kind since Trump election, the conference of more than 1,000 immigrants and refugee rights leaders on Monday listened to Tennessee city mayors, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, and singer Emmylou Harris offer guidance in the new Trump age. And new sessions such as The Organized Anti-Immigrant Movement Who They Are, What They Want, and How We Can Push Back in Trump America are now on the agenda. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday attack: Saturday attack, which a radical Kurdish group claimed as an act of revenge for state violence against the ethnic minority in the southeast, was the deadliest to hit Istanbul this year, according to Brandon Sun. Authorities blamed the carnage on the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. A shadowy offshoot of the movement, which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the state, claimed responsibility for the attack on a website that is blocked in Turkey. The arrests primarily targeted members of a Kurdish political party that already was a focus of a broader government crackdown. This is definitely a repercussion of the current crackdown on the Kurdish people, said Cenk Sidar, president of Sidar Global Advisors, a risk advisory group in Washington. Turkey, a NATO member and a partner in the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group, faces a myriad of internal and external security threats. It seems likely PKK will go ahead with these high-casualty, low-cost attacks for them, and it is a very dangerous trend in the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

staff member: He takes over from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1, according to Brandon Sun. Guterres, 67, performed well in answering questions before assembly members and his executive experience as prime minister and as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in 2005-2015 propelled him to first place among 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council. The former U.N. refugee chief was elected to the top job by acclamation in the General Assembly in October. After the sixth poll, the council nominated him by acclamation and his name was sent to the assembly for final approval. It benefits no one if it takes nine months to deploy a staff member to the field, he said. After being sworn in by General Assembly President Peter Thomson, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the U.N. must work to simplify, decentralize and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugee: She said the warm welcome she received from Canadians has helped ease the transition, according to The Waterloo Record. It has been a year since Canada welcomed the first group of Syrians that the government flew out of refugee camps, and both political leaders and refugees marked the occasion over the weekend with a mixture of pride and an acknowledgment of the challenges that remain. Trying to find a job while learning French has been difficult, but I am trying, the 25-year-old Syrian refugee said in English in an interview Sunday. Immigration Minister John McCallum said he would never forget joining Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other cabinet ministers at Toronto Pearson airport on Dec. 10, 2015 to greet the first plane load of refugees. Prime Minister Trudeau also noted the anniversary on Twitter over the weekend and federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who also joined Trudeau in welcoming the first plane load, noted the fond memories she had of that night in a tweet posted Saturday. At a time when many countries closed their doors to refugees, we in Canada said come on in, youre welcome, he said at an event in Montreal on Sunday to mark the anniversary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bedbug infestation: What followed was a series of cuts to the fund, slashing the benefits of hundreds of working poor, unemployed, single parents, newcomers, and other low-income Hamiltonians, according to Hamilton Spectator. This will have a devastating impact on low-income Hamiltonians and is a homelessness crisis in the making. In late November, the city announced that the HSB had run out of money. The HSB is an emergency fund available to low-income Hamiltonians who run into unforeseen housing crises, such as falling into rent arrears, needing to pay last month rent on a new place, replacing mattresses after a bedbug infestation, needing assistance in preparing for bedbug treatment, paying utility arrears, and paying moving costs. As a result of the cuts, the HSB is no longer available to a person awaiting payment from employment insurance or does not qualify for employment insurance and has fallen into arrears on rent because of inadequate income. HSB recipients can receive up to 800 single person or 1,500 family every 24 months for these reasons. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.