days.a statement: They're urging Canadian officials to temporarily suspend the so-called safe third country agreement until everyone can fully understand how all of Trump's orders will affect people seeking protection, according to Metro News. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen had already indicated the agreement would remain untouched as Canada monitored the impact of Trump's moves suspending immigration from seven countries for 90 days and all refugee resettlement for 120 days.A statement from Hussen's department late Wednesday, however, spelled out the government's rationale in the face of pressure from advocates and opposition parliamentarians for a policy response to the U.S. travel ban. But immigration advocates say the new U.S. president has signed more than one border-related executive order in recent weeks that has put the asylum system in jeopardy. Our government has no indication that the executive order has any impact on the American asylum system, said the statement from spokesperson Nancy Caron. Even if they were covered, the deal operates independently of any executive orders, she added. Caron said the agreement is focused on how to handle people who show up at either land border to make asylum claims, not the resettled refugees covered by Trump's edict. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eagerness workers: His wife has been attending English classes and his four children have been going to school, according to Hamilton Spectator. But Sabbagh wants to make his own mark hopefully by starting his own business and pay back the country that has provided refuge to him and his family. The 43-year-old automotive painter from Aleppo, Syria has felt emotionally better since arriving in Hamilton with his family last February, he explained through a translator. He is one step closer to achieving that dream after graduating from the Immigrants Working Centre's WorkLINC manufacturing program on Wednesday. The program was launched as a pilot project in response to the talent and eagerness workers at the Immigrants Working Centre noticed in Syrians arriving in Hamilton. He is one of twelve Syrian newcomers a cohort made up of welders, carpenters and shoemakers who were all smiles as they completed the five-week program that prepares participants to work in the food, manufacturing and construction industries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gop gov: Vermont Republican Gov, according to Metro News. Phil Scott said late Monday his state will not work with federal authorities to carry out border security and immigration enforcement orders. The measure marks their first formal effort to resist Trump's immigration policies. Scott also said he would ask the Legislature to pass laws that would prohibit local officials from carrying out such actions. GOP Gov. New Mexico A proposal from Democrats would prevent local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws and would turn the state with the largest percentage of Hispanic residents into a sanctuary state. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

grant exceptions: The proposal argues that the secretaries have the power to grant exceptions to the travel ban under the order issued last week by President Trump, according to CBC. Tech execs trash Trump travel ban Technology CEOs worried by Trump immigration crackdown Technology companies including Microsoft, Google owner Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc. and Amazon Inc. have been vocal in their opposition to Trump's order, arguing that they rely on workers from around the world to create their products and services. In a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Microsoft president Brad Smith outlined a program for case-by-case review of exceptions to a travel ban instituted last week for Responsible Known Travelers with Pressing Needs. Amazon and Expedia Inc. filed declarations of support on Monday in a legal challenge by the Washington state attorney general to the order. Microsoft's proposal would cover holders of the H-1B visa, a temporary work visa that the tech sector relies on to recruit foreign talent. Microsoft said on Thursday that 76 of its employees and 41 dependants were affected by the travel ban. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration policies: Microsoft seeks exception program on Trump immigration orders Silicon Valley pushes back at Trump immigration crackdown Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda, but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that, Kalanick, who had planned to attend a meeting of the group on Friday, said in the email, according to CBC. He said he spoke briefly to Trump about the immigration order and its issues for our community and told the president he would not join the economic council. The CEO of the ride-hailing service had been under mounting pressure from activists who oppose the administration's immigration policies, including Uber drivers, many of whom are immigrants themselves. The CEO came under increasing pressure to leave the council after Trump issued an executive order temporarily barring entry to people from seven majority-Muslim nations. The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America, he wrote in a note to employees. There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration, but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration restrictions: Another U.S.-Mexico border state, California, is moving in the opposite direction by advancing a statewide sanctuary that would prohibit law enforcement in the nation's most populous state from co-operating with federal immigration authorities, according to CTV. Trump's recent executive orders threatening to withhold federal funding from communities with sanctuary policies and calling for a border wall have produced widespread protests and fears that more immigration restrictions are in the future. In Texas, Republican lawmakers pushed to deny money to cities with the policies on Thursday as demonstrators disrupted a hearing several times. The president's supporters have hailed the efforts. There's no official definition, but often they tell police not to inquire about the immigration status of those they arrest or they decline requests from immigration officials to keep defendants in custody while they await deportation. Cities have mostly taken up sanctuary laws. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic radicalization: By failing to acknowledge the threat coming from the radicalization of individuals and the presence of more than 100 right-wing groups throughout Canada, we have blinded ourselves to the possibility of something like this ever happening, according to Rabble. There is no question that Islamic radicalization and violence is a threat that must be addressed in Canada. It's as if this phenomenon is strictly confined to individuals who have adopted extremist Islamist ideas like those of ISIS. Yet, this narrow conception of radicalization has, without a doubt, allowed for the atrocities in the Quebec City mosque to take place. Governments at all levels have mobilized to address the risk posed by international Islamic extremist groups, and the academic study of the phenomenon has exploded. Apart from a few researchers, many Canadian academics have very rarely addressed this phenomenon. However, the way Canadian society has addressed radicalization in these past few years has neglected this other source of radicalized individuals the ones who claim supremacist, nationalistic and/or far-right values. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job growth: Photo Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images In a statement on the White House website, President Donald Trump announced a bold plan to create 25 million new American jobs in the next decade and return to 4 percent annual economic growth, according to Huffington Post Canada. But the analysis from the Economic Cycle Research Institute ECRI says there's an obstacle to reaching such a fast rate of job growth in America The share of Americans who are in the workforce is shrinking, meaning there are fewer young people coming into the workforce to replace aging people. A new analysis says the only way President Donald Trump can meet his job-creation goal is to increase the U.S.'s rate of immigration or encourage more women to join the workforce. Men's participation in the workforce declined for decades after World War II, but women entering the workforce made up the difference. But U.S. women's workforce participation peaked in the 1990s and has been slowly declining. Today, that isn't happening, and that's limiting America's economic potential, says a new analysis from ECRI. Chart ECRI In the post-war decades in which the Baby Boomers grew up, this wasn't a problem because even though workforce participation for men was already falling women were entering the workforce, more than making up the difference. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kellie leitch: Kellie Leitch listens during the Conservative leadership debate in Saskatoon on Nov. 9, 2016, according to Huffington Post Canada. Photo Liam Richards/CP Her campaign is getting traction with Conservative members and non-members alike who are proud of Canada, proud of shared historic values and, what she calls, our unified identity. In a 2,588-word fundraising email, the Ontario MP, who was the target of protesters for her divisive language after six Quebecers were gunned down in a mosque this week, doubled down on her desire to screen immigrants for so-called Canadian values. Leitch wants officials to ask face-to-face potential immigrants, refugees and visitors whether they agree that Men and women are equal Violence has no place in political disagreements All should be left to worship how they see fit There is one law that applies to all Canadians equally. This is an undeniable conclusion, she states. Her plan will reduce the number of newcomers allowed into Canada each year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

plans: Notley said she believes Ottawa is considering such a move, according to CTV. Certainly we indicated to them at the time that we would be very happy to work with them to increase that number if that is the direction they choose to go, Notley said Wednesday. She said the premiers had a conference call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last weekend about the United States and the issue of refugees came up. We also had conversations about ensuring that there are adequate levels of support from the federal government to the provinces who receive these refugees. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Tuesday the government plans to stick to its current plans and ensure that it develops policy after careful consideration of all the implications. The federal New Democrats have been pushing the Liberals to do more to fill the gaps left by U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary immigration order on people from seven Muslim-majority countries and his indefinite ban on Syrian refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

power couple: Mukherjee, who was born in Kolkata, is known around the world for her books including The Middleman and Other Stories, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction, that deal with immigrant life and trying to create a new identity for oneself something she knew well from the experience of her own life, according to Toronto Star. She was an early writer dealing with the kinds of tensions that we're still dealing with today, said Iris Tupholme, her editor at Harper Collins Canada. Richard Lautens / Toronto Star File Photo By Deborah Dundas Books Thu., Feb. 2, 2017 Indian author Bharati Mukherjee, part of a Canadian and American literary power couple with her husband writer Clark Blaise, died Saturday in New York at 76. She was elegant and glamorous and dignified and determined. Article Continued Below I find myself adopting a Hindu world view she was not at all religious meaning that the soul is eternal, but the external wrapping is ephemeral, Blaise wrote in an email. Blaise also shared some of his feelings with the Star. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: I would like to thank everyone who pushed us to come here, said Mubarak, according to The Chronicle Herald. He joined many other thankful newcomers at the Halifax Central Library on Wednesday night, where the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia held a gathering to thank Nova Scotians for pitching in to help newcomers. A refugee from Syria's southern city of Daraa, his feet touched Nova Scotian soil for the first time on July 6 last year, after four years spent as a refugee in Jordan. It is also one year since the federal government completed its airlift of the first 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada and ISANS says that 1,586 have been resettled in Nova Scotia. Mills said that after one year, the warm Nova Scotian welcome given to Syrians is paying off newly-resettled refugees are learning English children much faster than adults and finding jobs. Families and individuals have stepped up to the plate and done so much to provide that welcome, so we wanted to say a huge thank you, said ISAN executive director Gerry Mills. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

undocumented immigrants: Catherine McKenney plans to present a motion next week aimed at ensuring undocumented immigrants have access to City of Ottawa services without fear of being detained or deported, according to CBC. Understanding Hamilton's pledge to serve undocumented immigrants Vancouver approves 'Access Without Fear' policy for undocumented immigrants'You are welcome here,' Toronto councillors tell immigrants in wake of U.S. ban When things around the world are so tenuous and people are nervous about traveling around, I think it's important we take care of each other, McKenney said. Somerset ward Coun. McKenney believes the recent travel ban in the U.S. has many Canadians worried about the safety and welfare of undocumented immigrants, who often live in very precarious situations. Aditya Rao, who is involved with the Ottawa Sanctuary City Network, said McKenney's motion is both timely and necessary. We want to make sure that if somebody who's in the city, who perhaps doesn't have documentation, is a refugee, has let their work visa expire ... that they're able to access city services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vimeo page: Getting up at 5 a.m. was hard but worth it, according to Metro News. Although the short clip, which was filmed at Lock & Load Miami, was posted directly to O'Leary's social media channels Thursday afternoon, it was originally uploaded to You Tube last March where it has been viewed more than 2,000 times. Still have my shooting chops from my days as a military cadet at Stanstead College, read the accompanying caption on O'Leary's Facebook page. The video was also uploaded to his Vimeo page for the first time today. Alexandre Bissonnette, a 27-year-old university student who was known to have far-right views, has been charged with several counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder.A Facebook account in his name suggested Bissonnette is a fan of right wing populist figures like U.S. President Donald Trump and anti-immigrant French politician Marine Le Pen, who described Sunday's terror attack as deplorable. Six men were killed when a gunman opened fire at Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec before evening prayers on Sunday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday game: We all want to be safer, according to Hamilton Spectator. No one wants to be unsafe. I understand safety, Cuban said before Wednesday night's game against Philadelphia. But the hypocrisy of it all only seven countries. It just makes no sense. Now, if it had been all terrorist-hosting countries, but seven countries That's like locking your door with the best security ever invented and leaving all your windows open. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian officials: They're urging Canadian officials to temporarily suspend the so-called safe third country agreement until everyone can fully understand how all of Trump's orders will affect people seeking protection, according to Guelph Mercury. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen had already indicated the agreement would remain untouched as Canada monitored the impact of Trump's moves suspending immigration from seven countries for 90 days and all refugee resettlement for 120 days. But immigration advocates say the new U.S. president has signed more than one border-related executive order in recent weeks that has put the asylum system in jeopardy. A statement from Hussen's department late Wednesday, however, spelled out the government's rationale in the face of pressure from advocates and opposition parliamentarians for a policy response to the U.S. travel ban. Caron said the agreement is focused on how to handle people who show up at either land border to make asylum claims, not the resettled refugees covered by Trump's edict. Our government has no indication that the executive order has any impact on the American asylum system, said the statement from spokesperson Nancy Caron. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quarter: BCE beat analyst expectations as it added 315,311 net postpaid wireless subscribers in its last fiscal year, ending Dec. 31, 2016, up 19 per cent compared to 265,369 in 2015, according to Guelph Mercury. In its fourth quarter, BCE added 112,393 such customers, up by 21,085 or 23 per cent over the same quarter the previous year. BCE Inc. Analysts expected roughly 99,000 new BCE subscribers in the fourth quarter, analyst Drew McReynolds of RBC Dominion Securities Inc. wrote in a note. Obviously very, very strong net add results, said president and CEO George Cope in a conference call with analysts. Customers also increased their wireless data usage by 41 per cent, BCE said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

serendipitous introduction: Louis, where he shares a beer with businessman Eberhard Anheuser, according to Guelph Mercury. The two launched their eponymous company in the 19th century, and it became the largest brewer in the United States. The well-crafted spot called Born the Hard Way tells the story of Adophus Busch's emigration from Germany to St. The ad was released on Tuesday and shows Busch navigating the new world against the headwinds of prejudice and hardship. And then there's timing, with Busch and Anheuser's serendipitous introduction over a beer that led to their dynasty. The commercial's themes are hope, ambition, patriotism, hard work and self-reliance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday game: We all want to be safer, according to Guelph Mercury. No one wants to be unsafe. I understand safety, Cuban said before Wednesday night's game against Philadelphia. But the hypocrisy of it all only seven countries. It just makes no sense. Now, if it had been all terrorist-hosting countries, but seven countries That's like locking your door with the best security ever invented and leaving all your windows open. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asian country: That was two years ago, according to The Chronicle Herald. Now another chance may be disappearing for Saeed and thousands of other asylum seekers who have made it to this Southeast Asian country with dreams of finding better lives elsewhere. They arrived in nearby Indonesia, only to be told the sea is closed for anyone attempting to make the perilous boat journey south. The majority of people here, the U.S. takes them, Saeed said. I hope, he said Tuesday, seated outside his tiny house perched above the Ciliwung River. Now the U.S. they say no Somalian, no Iraq, no Syrian, no Iran, no Sudan. ... So maybe we will go to another place. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

b visas: And it's not just refugees or workers from those seven countries who might want to pack up shop, according to Huffington Post Canada. Immigration rules up in the air Currently, the U.S. allows 85,000 workers to cross its borders every year through H-1B visas, a lottery-based temporary foreign workers permit for employees with specialized skills. Trump's order bars refugees, as well as immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen all Muslim-majority countries, from entering the U.S. A Vancouver immigration lawyer told The Globe and Mail that on the weekend Trump signed the order, he met with a dozen clients, including engineers and PhD students, who were interested in moving to Canada. Immigrants are a big part of the tech industry companies including Tesla, Microsoft, Google, eBay, Yahoo and Apple were either founded by or are currently run by newcomers to the U.S. This week, a draft of a proposed executive order to revamp the visa program was leaked from the White House. All the unknowns are making Canada look like an attractive alternative. If approved, the order could revoke the right of current workers to remain in the U.S. or prevent more workers from entering the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bans entry: I have no concerns related to that, said NFL security chief Cathy Lanier during the NFL's annual pregame security briefing, according to Hamilton Spectator. Lanier, who is Washington's former police chief, was named the NFL's top security officer in August. But officials in charge of security in and around Sunday's game at Houston's NRG Stadium insisted Tuesday that they have no special concern and are prepared for all eventualities. President Donald Trump's immigration order, announced Friday, temporarily bans entry into the United States for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from around the world. Acevedo predicted the most effective peace-keepers may well be the citizen-protestors themselves. Joining Lanier and officials from the FBI, CIA and Department of Homeland Security for Tuesday's briefing, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said his department was well-schooled in working peaceably with demonstrators and voiced no reason to expect otherwise as the Super Bowl draws near. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british citizen: On Tuesday 31.01.17 David revealed the news by posting a picture of him standing beside his and Elton's two children, Zachary, six, and four-year-old Elijah - who were both born via a surrogate - on his Instagram account, according to Hamilton Spectator. He captioned the image A very emotional morning for me. The 54-year-old filmmaker - who married 69-year-old musician Sir Elton John in 2014 after over 20 years together - relocated from Canada to Britain almost 30 years ago and feels very blessed and extremely proud to now be able to hold two passports as a dual national. This morning, I was sworn in as a British citizen. I was welcomed with open arms. As an immigrant, I moved to the UK more than 27 years years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british columbia: But I think we need to start pushing the envelope and being comfortable talking about things such as racism and Islamophobia and xenophobia, to name a few things, in a more open and public manner, he told a news conference Tuesday, according to Vancouver Observer. Alam said a range of legal groups in British Columbia started the hotline last March after the National Council of Canadian Muslims reported a significant increase in Islamophobic incidents. Hasan Alam, a community liaison for the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline, said Canadians often feel that race or faith-based discrimination are taboo topics and they should stick to the language of diversity and multiculturalism. The hotline gives people targeted by Islamophobia access to free legal advice in multiple languages and across a number of legal fields including immigration, employment and human rights law. Now, Canadians are being exposed to a more extreme form of this rhetoric from the U.S, he said. He said the reasons for the rise in Islamophobia are complex and many, but during the last federal election a divisive form of Islamophobic rhetoric was used to single out Muslims as a threat, including the so-called barbaric cultural practices tipline floated by the Conservatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country agreement: Organizers are hoping the protests can sustain a national movement advocating for policies to make Canada safer and more welcoming for everyone, according to Metro News. We can't just speak to our values. Hundreds of protesters are expected at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto this weekend to denounce the Quebec mosque attack and Donald Trump's travel ban on people from mostly Muslim countries. We have to act on our values, said Walied Khogali, a Toronto community activist and one of the protest organizers. The demands from dozens of community groups forming the coalition include a public condemnation of Trump's Muslim ban, revoking the Safe Third Country Agreement and scrapping Canadian legislation perceived as racist, such as Bill C-51. Standing up for Canada means telling our friends south of the border that their policies are xenophobic, Islamophobic and they're making Canadians less safe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

criticism: But Tory stopped short of denouncing his former campaign strategist Nick Kouvalis to whom he remains loyal after his 2014 election win whose controversial comments have drawn criticism he is capitalizing on the fear and hatred of refugees recently inspired by President Donald Trump, according to Metro News. It is expected that Kouvalis will help Tory seek re-election in 2018. He said political leaders have a moral obligation to speak out against hatred. Criticism peaked this week after Kouvalis on the weekend called a political science professor a cuck on Twitter a derogatory term that has been used by the bigoted alt-right against their opponents and accused him of treason. He did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Kouvalis has since apologized for those comments. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.