cindy lamoureux: Lamoureux said she spent the night in a sleeping bag on the marble floor outside Wishart's office, awaiting written answers to a series of requests she posed, according to Metro News. The requests include knowing how many applications for the nominee program are currently under review and when their decisions are expected; and getting status updates on files already in the system, with the applicant's consent. Cindy Lamoureux, the MLA for Burrows and the provincial Liberal Party's immigration critic, staged a sit-in outside Minister for Education and Training Ian Wishart's office starting Wednesday at 8 30 a.m. Lamoureux said she has spoken with nearly 100 Manitobans who are concerned about the nominee program, many of whom have waited two to three years for decisions to be made in their cases. I've asked questions in question period. This is the only option they've given me. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

discussion: Even just two years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that, in 2017, discussion of mainstream domestic politics in North America would have to include significant attention to fascism, white nationalism, and other variants of the far right, according to Rabble. Yet you-know-who won the presidential election in the United States, and he, the inner circle he has brought with him to the White House, and a number of his most notorious supporters -- who have in turn been boosted by his win to unprecedented mainstream visilibity -- make such discussion tragically inescapable. Tull speaks about the wave of anti-fascist activity that peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, about his current involvement in Antifa International and the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund, and about the need in our current moment for reinvigorated militant anti-fascism on the streets. Of course even when liberal democracy has been at its most robust and most liberal, there has never been an absence of massive systemic violence of various sorts directed against all manner of people designated in one way another as Other -- from deportations to drone attacks, from austerity to racist police violence, from colonial land theft to growing wealth inequality, from rampant misogyny to a neverending parade of violent Western interventions in countries of the Global South. Events are moving very fast, and predicting consequences even in the near term remains difficult and fraught. Still, the presence at the pinnacle of the most powerful state in the world of the kinds of figures that dominate this administration is taking us into new and uncharted territory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: If the U.S., history's most powerful people magnet, suddenly turns into an exporter of human beings, Canada is their logical destination, according to Globe and Mail. If the trickle of a few hundred grows into the tens of thousands a real possibility our smugness may be tested. Consider the sudden surge in the number of people walking north across the Canada-United States border to make asylum claims, fleeing Donald Trump and America. Asylum seekers' cold crossings to Canada A guide to the saga so far Globe editorial Is Canada ready for Donald Trump's refugee crisis Campbell Clark A solution to Canada's refugee surge is no easy feat Until now, Canada has never worried much about large numbers of people just showing up and claiming asylum, or becoming illegal immigrants. For most of the planet, Canada is just about the hardest place on earth to get to. Why not Because of geography. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government i: I don't want this to be taken as a criticism of the federal government, according to Toronto Star. I see an opportunity here for the federal government that they are not yet pursing to improve the way we do things and help make sure we are addressing a situation that some would fear is getting somewhat out of hand, Brian Pallister said Thursday. The Canadian Press By The Canadian Press Thu., Feb. 23, 2017 WINNIPEG Manitoba's premier says the federal government needs to stop talking and take action on an influx of people who have jumped the border from the U.S. to seek asylum in Canada. So I would encourage, again, the federal government to move beyond the talking points of us having had a worse problem 15 years ago and recognize there is a challenge today. The Tory premier made the comments as he announced more aid for refugee claimants in Manitoba 14 new emergency housing units, 110,000 for paralegal and other services and 70,000 for a co-ordinator to support claimants. We need to face the challenges of today together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

head scarf: Unfortunately, barely a week later, provincial politicians had already rekindled the divisive debate over religious clothing, according to Huffington Post Canada. A woman wearing a head scarf in Montreal. A clear message of compassion and unity towards the Muslim community resounded from all parts of Quebec society. Photo Shaun Best/Reuters The recommendation of the Bouchard-Taylor commission's report to ban certain public servants from wearing religious symbols is being promoted as a way to settle the long debate on religious clothing. On the contrary -- a ban on religious clothing is likely to accentuate the detachment felt by members of religious minorities, and other cultural minorities, towards Quebec society. Not only has this debate resumed too quickly after the assassination of six Muslims in Quebec City, but, more importantly, there is quite simply no objective evidence to support that such a ban would help intergroup relations in Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration authorities: Indeed, such a crisis already appears to have started, according to Rabble. Several Canadian communities are now seeing a growing stream of refugees flowing across the world's longest undefended border. In addition to the appalling moral consequences of the humanitarian catastrophe such a policy would almost certainly unleash, it is quite possible it could precipitate a full-blown European-style refugee crisis on our border with the United States. And U.S. customs and immigration authorities south of those same places appear to be all but pushing politically unwanted U.S. residents into Canada. As a nation of 35 million people, are we capable of dealing with the humanitarian crisis caused here by the irresponsible and inhumane actions now apparently being planned by our next door neighbour and supposed great friend and ally It's all very well for the Pollyannas in the business press to speak enthusiastically about this looming crisis as a business opportunity for Canada, as if every refugee will be a high-tech corporate executive, research scientist or engineer with marketable skills, good health and a pocket full of credit cards. How many refugees can we Canadians expect to appear on our side of the border if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to expel more than 11 million people from the United States Not all of the victims of this U.S. policy would come this way, but the numbers would be very significant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration system: Jean-Nicolas Beuze says the UN has no concerns about the crossings, noting the numbers are low and the asylum seekers are being treated in accordance with Canadian and international law, according to CTV. Beuze says most of those people he spoke with say they left the U.S. out of fear of being mistreated by that country's immigration system under President Donald Trump. The agency's representative in Ottawa recently spent a day watching people make their way through an unofficial border crossing in Quebec and says he plans to keep up visits over the next few weeks. But he says that doesn't mean Canada should suspend the agreement it has with the U.S. that prevents those seeking to enter this country at an official land border point to make a refugee claim. Beuze says more evidence is still needed to prove that Trump's immigration policy is affecting the asylum system in the U.S. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interest u.s: It remains unknown how much interest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will show in schools under President Donald Trump, and there is little schools can do to thwart agents who show up with warrants, but they are acting at least in part to ease concerns of skittish immigrant communities, according to The Chronicle Herald. In districts like Chicago, where nearly half of the 381,000 students are Hispanic, there is concern that immigration authorities could grab parents outside the schools and their children inside. The stand taken by Chicago Public Schools, the country's third-largest school system, is among the boldest of the districts that have announced measures to protect those who may be living in the country illegally. My 9-year-old son gets upset because he knows some of his friends in school and his father are undocumented and he is scared, and asks 'Am I going to see them again,' said Gabriela Barajas, who was brought to this country illegally as a child but is allowed to stay as part of a federal program launched in 2012. Alma Sigala, an immigrant who has a daughter in district, said the relief is not just for the children but for the parents. When I told him about what CPS was doing he was clapping, he was so happy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

italian retailer: Parks, which was founded in 2010, aims to help companies realize their biases when it comes to hiring, compensating their employees and other aspects of their business, according to Huffington Post Canada. Gucci's CEO Marco Bizzari opened up to WWD Daily on the new changes. On Wednesday, the Italian retailer announced they would be teaming up with non-profit organization Parks - Liberi e Uguali to increase visibility for people of different ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations and genders. We are extremely proud to join Parks, and we could not identify a better moment to start the partnership with this inspiring organization, Bizzarri said. Attracting, retaining and promoting talent, while celebrating ethnic, age, sexual and gender diversity, sexual orientation and gender identity across the company, is our mission, which is completely consistent with the vision of our parent company, Kering. In the past two years, we have implemented a complete turnaround of our company, following our mantra of being the voice of self-expression. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kurdish rebels: The seizure of al-Bab after a protracted, bloody fight that levelled large parts of the city brings Ankara closer to its stated goal for its months-long operation in Syria Driving IS fighters from the border and preventing Kurdish rebels in the north from linking their territories west and east of Syria along the Turkish border, according to CTV. It also highlights the complexity of the Syrian terrain. The talks in the Swiss capital began as Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces seized the centre of the Islamic State-held town of al-Bab, breaking a weeks-long deadlock between the two sides at the periphery of the town in northern Syria, according to Turkey's state news agency and Syrian opposition activists. Pro-government forces are just 3 kilometres south of al-Bab, though clashes with the opposition forces in the area have so far been limited. The conflict has long been a proxy war between international and regional stakeholders in this Arab nation. The Geneva talks, which exclude extremist groups like the Islamic State group, are the latest bid to end Syria's catastrophic six-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced some 11 million more. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tone: I'm very touched by what I'm looking at, said Quebec Conservative MP G rard Deltell of the images of people coming across the border in the freezing cold, being assisted by the Mounties, according to National Observer. But we also have to send a clear signal all around the world, for all of those who wish, would dream to come here in Canada and to live in Canada, that we must respect the procedure and we must respect the law. And in doing so, they've markedly shifted their tone from the days many Conservatives rushed to paint all illegal border-crossers as bogus asylum claimants eager to take advantage of Canadians. The government is respecting the law, both the Liberals and immigration experts say the one that gives anyone in Canada the right to make a claim for asylum, a right upheld repeatedly by the courts. What appears to be a sudden influx of people illegally crossing into Canada as many as 22 on a single night last week is being pinned on the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., which stipulates that those who cross into Canada from the U.S. at an official border point won't be allowed to make an asylum claim because they should have lodged one in the U.S. In the aftermath of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order pausing immigration from certain countries and refugee resettlement generally, there were immediate calls for Canada to suspend the deal on the grounds the U.S. was clearly no longer a safe place for asylum seekers. Except you have to get here first, and that's become the political sticking point. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

operation kelly: He told CEOs at the White House the deportation push was a military operation, according to The Chronicle Herald. Kelly, speaking in Mexico's capital, said all deportations will comply with human rights requirements and the U.S. legal system, including its multiple appeals for those facing deportation. Only hours earlier, President Donald Trump suggested the opposite. He said the U.S. approach will involve close co-ordination with Mexico's government. There will be no repeat, no mass deportations. There will be no use of military forces in immigration, Kelly said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: It found the best interests of the children were not adequately accounted for at the time of the arrest and detention of the mothers, and that the fundamental rights of the children were violated, according to CBC. The report calls on the government to find better alternatives, including community housing, and warns that Canada's international reputation is at stake. The study, called Invisible Citizens Canadian Children in Immigration Detention, was produced by the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto's faculty of law and released today during a news conference on Parliament Hill. Immigration centres set for 138M makeover Human chain supports immigration detainees If Canadian authorities do not move quickly to address the serious human rights violations of some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and entrench the initial progress of the past year into law and practice, Canada's government will further undermine its reputation as a human rights defender, the report reads. These are good signs, but the federal government must move urgently to implement viable alternatives to detention and family separation, he said. Program director Samer Muscati welcomed the government's recent commitment to reform the detention regime, but called for fast action on the plan and for more public data to be released. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

program: We're not being given responses, she said, according to CBC. I have constituents who have been waiting months to hear from me and years to hear from the program, and frankly, having them put their lives on hold for three to four years to find out whether or not they're going to be accepted or rejected from the provincial nominee program, it's not fair. The representative for Burrows staged a 33-hour sit-in Wednesday and Thursday at the legislature to push for improvements in Manitoba's immigration nominee program, which she says is plagued by delays and communication issues. Lamoureux said since she was elected in April 2016, she's heard from immigrants in her constituency who have been left in the dark over the status of their applications. Applicants and sponsors are being disrespected with the responses they are receiving, Lamoureux said. 500 fee hike for immigrants called cash grab, head tax They're being rejected with absolutely no reason why, and then when they appeal for the rejection it is unfair, it is stupid answers. In some cases, newcomers have waited for years only to be rejected and given little support through the appeals process, she added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee groups: The Harper government cut health care for refugees, demonized certain refugee groups, politicized appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board IRB and brought in a series of punitive so-called reforms to the refugee system the main intent of which was to reduce the number of refugees who reach Canada and make it harder for those who do get here to stay, according to Rabble. Justin Trudeau promised to change the channel on all that, starting with a bold commitment to bring in thousands of Syrian refugees. Please consider supporting his work with a monthly donation Support Karl on Patreon today for as little as 1 per month!One of the key areas in which the Trudeau government has differentiated itself from its Conservative predecessor is refugee policy. But the openly anti-refugee Trump regime south of the border has thrown a spanner in the works. Once asylum seekers have made refugee claims in Canada they can't try the U.S., and vice versa. That's because Canada has a safe third country agreement with the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right way: The Republican who ran for mayor as an independent told The Record http //bit.ly/2ly TsJi he hopes his position is not misconstrued as an indication he's against diversity, according to Metro News. My whole network is either a refugee or has a family or friend who is a refugee. Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali said in message posted on Facebook that mayors should not advocate defying federal laws and he will not sign any executive orders asking the town's employees to do so. I feel it. But the mayor acknowledged that he must remove emotion and personal feelings to do his job the right way. It is very personal, Ghassali said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights requirements: He told CEOs at the White House the deportation push was a military operation, according to Globe and Mail. Trump says Tillerson's Mexico trip will be 'tough' Reuters Kelly, speaking in Mexico's capital, said all deportations will comply with human rights requirements and the U.S. legal system, including its multiple appeals for those facing deportation. Only hours earlier, President Donald Trump suggested the opposite. He said the U.S. approach will involve close co-ordination with Mexico's government. There will be no repeat, no mass deportations. There will be no use of military forces in immigration, Kelly said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

skin tones: In fact, I don't recall having any awareness that they were from anywhere different, according to Huffington Post Canada. Later, as an adult, with a deep interest in Central Asia and the surrounding area, and having spent time in places like Iran, I regretted that I never took advantage of the opportunity to ask them questions about the places they were born or where their families came from, to satiate what would later become a burning curiosity about that part of the world. Unfortunately, I can't list all the countries because I didn't know where most of them came from. They were just the kids I went to school with, and their different skin tones were normal, because that's all I knew. Statistics Canada projects that by 2036 nearly half of Canadians will be immigrants or the children of immigrants. My childhood is fairly typical of many parts of Canada, and will even become more of a norm. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tijuana police: Border officials soon stopped him, according to Hamilton Spectator. Unable to show legal documents to enter the U.S., Olivas Valencia was detained, and the following morning, deported. Passing through the car lanes of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere, his odds of making it past immigration authorities were slim. Less than an hour later, Olivas Valencia was seen on a bridge a few hundred feet away from the office where he was deported, throwing himself off it into the dry channel below. Tijuana police found the man shortly after 9 a.m. Witnesses told local media outlets that the man appeared to be in major distress, and could be heard shouting that he did not want to return to Mexico. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tool v: Chart Tool ; root, according to Globe and Mail. Chart Tool.push id 'gc-' data.id, data data ; var b if var c var j c.href c.rel 'stylesheet'; j.src j.async true; j.defer true; this ; CHART TOOL v1.2.2-42 edited Thu Feb 23 2017 10 49 31 GMT-0500 EST slug function root var data version 1.2.2 id d4uCgy27tFJ2MjZXr heading Length of time Canadian children spent in the Toronto IHC, 2011-2015 qualifier Days source chart class primary has Hours false, data options type bar interpolation false, stacked false, expanded false, head true, deck false, legend true, footer true, x axis true, y axis true, tips true, annotations false, range false, series false, indexed false, qualifier true, share data true, social true x axis display true, scale linear ticks auto orient bottom format auto nice false y axis display true, scale ordinal ticks auto orient right format comma nice false ; root. Chart Tool root. Chart Tool root. Chart Tool.push id 'gc-' data.id, data data ; var b if var c var j c.href c.rel 'stylesheet'; j.src j.async true; j.defer true; this ; CHART TOOL v1.2.2-42 edited Thu Feb 23 2017 10 51 06 GMT-0500 EST slug function root var data version 1.2.2 id XPEC5srb7fsjug4H5 heading Canadian children housed in the Toronto IHC, by length of detention, 2011-2015 qualifier source THE GLOBE AND MAIL, university of toronto, faculty of law chart class primary has Hours false, data Days,Percentage n0 2 days,12.8 n3 7 days,21.2 n8 30 days,35 n31 days,31.4 options type bar interpolation false, stacked false, expanded false, head true, deck false, legend true, footer true, x axis true, y axis true, tips true, annotations false, range false, series false, indexed false, qualifier true, share data true, social true x axis display true, scale linear ticks auto orient bottom format auto suffix % nice false y axis display true, scale ordinal ticks auto orient right format comma suffix % nice false ; root. Chart Tool ; root. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zuleima dominguez: And in New York, 23-year-old Zuleima Dominguez and other members of her Mexican family are careful about answering the door and start making worried phone calls when someone doesn't come home on time, according to Hamilton Spectator. Around the country, President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. have spread fear and anxiety and led many people to brace for arrest and to change up their daily routines in hopes of not getting caught. In Philadelphia, immigrants are carrying around wallet-size Know Your Rights guides in Spanish and English that explain what to do if they're rounded up. In El Paso, Texas, Carmen Ramos and her friends have developed a network to keep each other updated via text messages on where immigration checkpoints have been set up. She checks her taillights before leaving the house to make sure they are working. She said she also is making certain everything she does is in order at all times. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interest u.s: It remains unknown how much interest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will show in schools under President Donald Trump, and there is little schools can do to thwart agents who show up with warrants, but they are acting at least in part to ease concerns of skittish immigrant communities, according to Brandon Sun. In districts like Chicago, where nearly half of the 381,000 students are Hispanic, there is concern that immigration authorities could grab parents outside the schools and their children inside. The stand taken by Chicago Public Schools, the country's third-largest school system, is among the boldest of the districts that have announced measures to protect those who may be living in the country illegally. My 9-year-old son gets upset because he knows some of his friends in school and his father are undocumented and he is scared, and asks 'Am I going to see them again,' said Gabriela Barajas, who was brought to this country illegally as a child but is allowed to stay as part of a federal program launched in 2012. Alma Sigala, an immigrant who has a daughter in district, said the relief is not just for the children but for the parents. When I told him about what CPS was doing he was clapping, he was so happy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

khaire: His selection is a nod to balancing clan interests in this Horn of Africa nation, according to Brandon Sun. Khaire is a member of the Hawiye clan, as is former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whom Mohamed defeated in the election earlier this month. Somali-born Norwegian national Hassan Ali Khaire, a former executive of British energy explorer Soma Oil & Gas, was appointed prime minister. Mohamed is with the Darod clan. In June 2012, he was in a motorcade that was attacked by armed men on the Somalia-Kenya border, the Norwegian daily Verdens Gang reported. Khaire served as the Horn of Africa regional chief for the Norwegian Refugee Council aid group from 2011-2014. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

menu items: There's more craft brewers opening every day all over the place, according to Brandon Sun. It's generating revenue for the entire market, says Charlotte Langley, culinary curator of a trade show being put on this weekend in Toronto by Restaurants Canada. Craft beer is still trending because it's still growing. More than 560 professional chefs across the country were asked to identify the menu items and cooking methods at the peak of popularity in the association's eighth annual survey. Though charcuterie was on last year's list, Langley points to its continuing evolution. Food smoking and sous vide cooking are two techniques that cracked this year's top 10 list. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

moment: We might even admit that it's about time, according to NOW Magazine. But many of us are dreading it that moment when Honest Ed's goes down. Buy tickets and/or register at know it's coming. Not the store that happened last year but the building, that crazy edifice festooned with neon that flashed garishly at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. An Honest Farewell, their multi-day culture fest, celebrates the past, present and future with the accent on building a city that is joyously inclusive. But the Centre for Social Innovation is turning this sad moment in Toronto history into an opportunity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: The system has 'vomited up a monster'You have described a predicament for America going back 45 years, which you characterized as 'the creeping corporate coup d' tat that 45 years later is complete'. Sounds like you think we're in deep, deep trouble, according to National Observer. Yes. And more. Basically, the fa ade of democracy has been removed. It's already a kleptocracy, it's done with a veneer. The dysfunction of the system has vomited up this political monster. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.