hong: The lawyers want Ottawa to accept the families on an exceptional basis while their applications are processed, according to Hamilton Spectator. Snowden fled to Hong Kong to avoid prosecution over the leak of classified material about United States government surveillance programs. Our clients are specifically targeted by Hong Kong's immigration authorities, who are actively trying to get our clients out of its territory and back to their home countries where they will be apprehended, tortured, or killed, lawyer Marc-Andre Seguin told a Montreal news conference. A congressional inquiry into the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor concluded the leaks compromised national security. The lawyers told a news conference March 9 of their intention to bring Snowden's guardian angels to Canada. The families in question have been publicly quoted as saying they hid Snowden in their apartments for a few weeks in 2013 before he went to Russia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant: Then turn those stories into an illustrated book and use it as a lesson of hope for other immigrant women in similar situations, according to CTV. That is the idea behind the new graphic novel, Telling Our Stories Immigrant Women's Resilience, which received its official Ottawa launch Tuesday night. Take a group of immigrant and refugee women and have them write stories based on their collective experiences of sexual assault and abuse. The book is a collection of four stories collectively written by forty immigrant women living in Ontario. But they also show that women do not have to suffer abuse in silence. They are simply written, colourfully illustrated cartoons that cover some pretty dark subject matter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job candidates: Starbucks plans on kicking off the initiative within the next two months and concentrate on finding potential hires mostly in regions with the largest number of refugees, including Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, according to CTV. It's a sign of the times, said spokeswoman Luisa Girotto. The company said it will actively begin recruiting job candidates through the national organization, Hire Immigrants, which works with a network of municipal and provincial resettlement agencies. It's a sign of great need for Starbucks . The majority of the jobs will be permanent positions at the store level and the starting salary will be minimum wage, the company said. As of last fall, Starbucks Canada operated 1,399 locations across the country and employed more than 19,000 workers. The commitment is part of the coffee retailer's global goal announced in January to hire 10,000 refugees in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary travel bans against Muslim-majority countries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim-majority countries: Richard Lautens / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., March 22, 2017 Starbucks, the Seattle-based global coffee chain, has announced plans to hire 10,000 refugees around the world, including 1,000 in Canada over five years, according to Toronto Star. Wednesday's announcement followed outgoing Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz's earlier defiance and criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump's travel bans against Muslim-majority countries and suspension of refugee programs. He's pictured here with Luisa Girotto, VP of Public Affairs for Starbucks Canada. In response to the new administration's executive orders, Schultz reaffirmed the company's values by committing to hire refugees, building bridges, not walls, with Mexico, and supporting undocumented youth and former U.S. president Barack Obama's affordable health care plan. These newcomers need jobs to resettle successfully. We see the role Canada plays in accepting refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

profanity-laced epithets: Hours before the final debate, several dozen protesters gathered on the stairs in front of Centre Block to protest the motion, which has no legal effect but which they nevertheless maintained would restrict free speech and lead to the imposition of Sharia law, according to Metro News. Among them were individuals sporting black hoodies emblazoned with the logo of the Soldiers of Odin an anti-immigration group that originated in Finland and has been linked to neo-Nazis in Europe. The motion, known as M-103, is to be put to a vote on Thursday. The Canadian branch maintains it is not racist but more of a neighbourhood watch. The two groups, separated by a line of police officers, shouted profanity-laced epithets at one another. At the bottom of the stairs, another several dozen counter-protesters gathered to defend M-103. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

star-spangled banner: It came a day after President Donald Trump took a swipe Kaepernick during a campaign-style rally in Kentucky by taking credit for the lack of suitors for the free agent, according to Hamilton Spectator. Kaepernick's refusal to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner ahead of 49ers games last season as a protest of police treatment of minorities became a topic of national debate. The group that provides food for seniors in need thanked Kaepernick for his donation on Tuesday. Meals on Wheels faces a sharp funding cut under Trump's proposed budget. The controversial quarterback was placed on the negotiation list of the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats this week. Kaepernick is also promoting a campaign to raise millions of dollars for drought relief in Somalia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

starbucks canada: Given the critical role Canada plays in welcoming refugees, we are resolute in our commitment to provide opportunities for employment so that these newcomers can successfully integrate and create a better future for themselves and their families, Rossann Williams, the president of Starbucks Canada, said in a statement, according to CBC. The company said it will begin actively hiring in many of the cities where recent newcomers to Canada have settled, with an initial focus on the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Vancouver Area, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton. The announcement Wednesday follows a statement in January by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz that the company would hire 10,000 refugees around the world in the next half-decade. Schultz's January announcement apparently had some repercussions for the company. Some supporters of President Donald Trump called for a boycott of the coffee chain, and a firm that tracks consumer attitudes reported a dip in sentiment toward Starbucks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

technology leaders: Here are some of the highlights for innovators and entrepreneurs Selling to Government There are many small, emerging technology firms that would like to more easily be able to sell their products and services to the federal government, which makes 23 billion in purchases every year, according to CBC. Chris Perram, CEO of the data analytics firm Filefacets, said his Ottawa company has actually given up on trying to make the government a customer. The future success of all Canadians relies on it. The government said it has heard the complaints. Technology leaders met at an event in Ottawa on March 9 to hear Minister Judy Foote talk about the government's commitment to buy more Canadian tech services. Budget 2017 proposes 50 million to launch a new procurement program called Innovative Solutions Canada, modelled on a small business innovation research program in the United States. setting aside departmental money for early-stage research and development, late-stage prototypes from Canadian entrepreneurs. encouraging procurement from companies led by women and other underrepresented groups. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toronto: That is unfortunate, according to Huffington Post Canada. The lone black senator appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he has been nothing but a public embarrassment since he came to prominence almost a decade ago. He blamed all his shortcomings, his rendezvous with a 16-year-old, the public assessment of his poor record as a senator on racism. He was never a useful advocate for either the black community or the residents of Toronto who had been served well by the dynamic and progressive senator, Peter Stollery who had preceded Senator Meredith. Embattled Sen. Senator Don Meredith seen during an interview in Toronto, Thursday, Mar. 16, 2017. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

violence reports: Nick Ut / AP By Michael Balsamo The Associated Press Wed., March 22, 2017 LOS ANGELES The police chief of Los Angeles, a city that is half Latino, found himself in the middle of the national immigration debate on Wednesday after saying there's a correlation between the Trump administration's call for stiffer immigration policies and a drop in the number of Hispanics reporting sexual abuse and domestic violence, according to Toronto Star. Imagine your sister, your mother, not reporting a sexual assault for fear that their family will be torn apart, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday. He said that sexual assault reports have dropped 25 per cent and domestic violence reports have fallen 10 per cent among the city's Latino population since the beginning of the year. Since the beginning of this year, sexual assaults reported by Latinos in Los Angeles have dropped 25 per cent, and domestic violence reports by Latinos have decreased by 10 per cent compared to the same period last year. There was also a decrease of 118 reports of domestic violence during the same periods among Latinos. Read more Trump, tighter air travel rules behind surge of refugees at Canada-U.S. border, experts say Article Continued Below Why does Trump keep running into legal trouble with his travel ban Crime statistics show there were 164 sexual assaults reported by Latinos in the first two months of 2016, compared to 123 in the first two months of 2017. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

charlie beck: Since the beginning of this year, sexual assaults reported by Latinos in Los Angeles have dropped 25 per cent, and domestic violence reports by Latinos have decreased by 10 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to Brandon Sun. Crime statistics show there were 164 sexual assaults reported by Latinos in the first two months of 2016, compared to 123 in the first two months of 2017. Imagine your sister, your mother, not reporting a sexual assault for fear that their family will be torn apart, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday. There was also a decrease of 118 reports of domestic violence during the same periods among Latinos. She questioned Beck's reasoning for announcing the figures. Beck said there was a strong correlation between the timing of the decreased reporting and fears about President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. However, Jessica Vaughan of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which lobbies for less immigration to the U.S., said it is extremely speculative to draw a connection between the drop in crime reporting and fears regarding accelerated efforts to round up and deport immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job candidates: Starbucks plans on kicking off the initiative within the next two months and concentrate on finding potential hires mostly in regions with the largest number of refugees, including Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, according to Brandon Sun. It's a sign of the times, said spokeswoman Luisa Girotto. The company said it will actively begin recruiting job candidates through the national organization, Hire Immigrants, which works with a network of municipal and provincial resettlement agencies. It's a sign of great need for Starbucks . The majority of the jobs will be permanent positions at the store level and the starting salary will be minimum wage, the company said. As of last fall, Starbucks Canada operated 1,399 locations across the country and employed more than 19,000 workers. The commitment is part of the coffee retailer's global goal announced in January to hire 10,000 refugees in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary travel bans against Muslim-majority countries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

profanity-laced epithets: Hours before the final debate, several dozen protesters gathered on the stairs in front of Centre Block to protest the motion, which has no legal effect but which they nevertheless maintained would restrict free speech and lead to the imposition of Sharia law, according to Brandon Sun. Among them were individuals sporting black hoodies emblazoned with the logo of the Soldiers of Odin an anti-immigration group that originated in Finland and has been linked to neo-Nazis in Europe. The motion, known as M-103, is to be put to a vote on Thursday. The Canadian branch maintains it is not racist but more of a neighbourhood watch. The two groups, separated by a line of police officers, shouted profanity-laced epithets at one another. At the bottom of the stairs, another several dozen counter-protesters gathered to defend M-103. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aid groups: If they managed to flee, the scars stay with them, according to Toronto Star. Stranded in unbearable living conditions in refugee camps, with the perpetual uncertainty of finding permanent homes, some of them harm themselves, try to take their own lives or use drugs to escape their misery. LOUISA GOULIAMAKI / AFP/GETTY FILE PHOTO By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Tues., March 21, 2017 They have witnessed deaths, were hurt and sometimes recruited to fight in wars. That's the picture three recent reports by international aid groups have painted of the grim reality faced by refugee children fleeing war and unrest around the world. They become more likely to turn to negative coping strategies. Child refugees are more likely to have higher levels of behavioural or emotional problems, including aggression and other affective disorders, said a report released by Save the Children last week, titled A Tide of Self-harm and Depression, which focused on those stranded on the Greek islands. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum: Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Tues., March 21, 2017 There were four times more asylum claimants arriving at land border crossings than at airports in the first two months of 2017, new Canadian data show, according to Toronto Star. In January and February, a total of 525 air travellers 400 in Ontario, 90 in Quebec, 35 in British Columbia and nine in Alberta sought asylum upon arrival at airports, said the Canada Border Services Agency. Asylum trends have much to do with the political climate in refugee-receiving countries, one expert says. By contrast, 2,145 people crossed at official land border ports of entry and made refugee claims during the same period, including 1,085 in Quebec, 905 in Ontario, 80 in Manitoba, and 35 each in Alberta and British Columbia. The numbers of claimants arriving at land border crossings and airports for the same period of 2016 were not immediately available. In addition to the migrants who made it through the border either legally or illegally and later filed what are known as inland claims, Canada received claims from a total of 5,520 refugees in the two months a 48 per cent increase from the same period a year ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian: Several days after being hired her supervisor asked her if she was a Canadian citizen, which she is not, according to CTV. K.A. immigrated to Canada when she was ten years old and is a permanent resident. The woman, who goes by the initials K.A., was hired by the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Owners in September 2015. Maybe a week later I was told that she could not keep me because I'm not a Canadian citizen, and they were incorporated under a law that said everyone - part of their staff - had to be a Canadian citizen, said K.A. The Professional Syndicates Act states that a syndicate can be dissolved if more than one third of its members are not Canadian citizens. Instead, she believes her race had an effect. However K.A. believes that if the Association believes that strongly in the issue, it should have insisted ahead of time that only citizens apply. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

daughter: He cheated on my mother many times, according to Hamilton Spectator. Sometimes I was dragged along with him. My father's been with his wife for over five years. My mother's been with her fianc for over three years. My dad's refusing, he won't share his daughter. I asked both my stepdad and my father to walk me down the aisle. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive order: In Texas, the elected Republican sheriff of conservative Williamson County said his jail didn't refuse four recent immigration detainer requests as claimed, according to Metro News. The list was prompted by an executive order signed by Trump in January that called on the government to document which local jurisdictions aren't co-operating with federal efforts to find and deport immigrants in the country illegally. The pushback was not just from liberal local governments that are at odds with President Donald Trump over immigration crackdowns and his promise to deport bad dudes living in the United States illegally. The first list was released Monday, citing 206 examples of immigrants who were said to have been released from custody by local jails despite requests from federal agents. Many sanctuary cities choose to not honour the requests when immigrants complete their sentences and are released from jail. The requests, often called detainers, have taken on a greater role in the immigration debate under Trump, who strenuously opposes local policies that grant leniency to people in the country illegally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fsv frankfurt: His friends back home call him Lav, for short, according to The Chronicle Herald. In Germany, where he plays for FSV Frankfurt in the third division, his teammates call him Dante after the Brazilian who use to patrol the defence for Bayern Munich. And with any luck Wednesday, the London-born, North Vancouver-raised left fullback will be able to put Canadian international before it. Because no one can say La'Vere, Corbin-Ong said. The 25-year-old Corbin-Ong received his first national team call-up in advance of Canada's friendly Wednesday against Scotland in Edinburgh. And he also has curly hair read Afro and we kind of look similar. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government show: Statistics previously provided by the Immigration Department had revealed 2,464 were apprehended in 2016, according to CBC. Of those stopped so far this year, 677 were in Quebec, 161 in Manitoba and 291 in British Columbia. Figures provided by the federal government show that in the first two months of this year, the RCMP intercepted 1,134 people. Near-fatal border crossing prompts calls for immigration reform The long trek from Somalia How refugees arrive at Canada's door The only other province where Mounties stopped asylum seekers this year was Saskatchewan, where five people were apprehended in January. Tracking asylum claims is the work of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Immigration Department and in their statistics they don't separate out how an asylum seeker arrives. While the RCMP arrests would-be refugee claimants, how many of them actually go on to lodge asylum claims in Canada is unclear. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

komagata maru: Most of the passengers were from the Punjab, India, according to Huffington Post Canada. All were British subjects. For anyone not familiar with this event in our nation's history, in May 1914 the Komagata Maru sailed from Hong Kong bound for Vancouver, carrying 376 passengers. At that time, Canada had a regulation referred to as continuous passage which stated that immigrants must come from the country of their birth, or citizenship, by a continuous journey and on through tickets purchased before leaving the country of their birth, or citizenship. Photo City of Vancouver Archives/Handout via Reuters The regulation had been brought into force in 1908 to curb Indian immigration to Canada. Passengers stand aboard the S. S. Komagata Maru at the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in this undated handout photo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

liberals inaction: Statistics previously provided by the Immigration Department had revealed 2,464 were apprehended in 2016 at three unofficial crossing points in Quebec, Manitoba and B.C. Of those stopped in 2017, 476 were arrested in January and 658 in February, an increase that prompted renewed attention from the Opposition on Tuesday, according to Hamilton Spectator. Canadians are tired of the Liberals inaction and denial. Figures provided by the federal government show that in the first two months of this year, the RCMP intercepted 1,134 people 677 were in Quebec, 161 in Manitoba, 291 in British Columbia and five in Saskatchewan. Where is the plan said Conservative public safety critic Tony Clement. We're watching it very carefully and doing the contingency planning based on a number of factors that may change in the weeks and months ahead to try as best we can to anticipate what may happen in the future and to be ready for it when it does arrive and if it does, he said. When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders Public Safety Minister Goodale said the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency have all the resources they need and all laws are being enforced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nato forces: After all, a weak and corrupt Ukraine feeds perfectly into the Moscow narrative that Western interference only brings war and instability, according to Globe and Mail. Look at the nightmare in Ukraine, says the Russian media, and you'll see what happens when pro-Western stooges overthrow an elected government. The best way to diminish Russia's influence in the region is not by building up NATO forces, but by ensuring a stable and democratic Ukraine. Russian officials repeatedly point to the country's volatility its corruption, its civilian casualties and its economic troubles as an example of what happens when Western meddling goes too far. Right now, it is merely a harbinger of Western weakness and uncertainty. Like West Germany after the Second World War, Ukraine could serve as a symbol of a better way of life. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

need everything: New online swap shop to outfit Syrian refugees with what they need Everything was extra challenging, Alsaleh said of his time as a new arrival, according to CBC. Our refugee experiences have put us in a situation where we're so helpless in a native land and we had to find our way, use maps, applications to find our way, navigate new cities, use translate apps to talk to the people that we meet. Now, two years later as part of the non-profit coding group Peace Geeks, Alsaleh is on a team working on an app that helps refugees use their smartphones to survive and thrive in their new surroundings. Peace Geeks has already developed a widely-used app to help Syrian refugees navigate refugee camps in Jordan called Services Advisor. The goal for the coming app is to provide the same sort of information in a Canadian context. Syrian refugees get Peace Geek app to track services in camps That app was released in 2015 in collaboration with the UN and points the way to essentials like shelter, food, and medical assistance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

port police: Los Angeles champions inclusiveness and tolerance, and welcomes everyone who seeks to realize their dreams and build their families here, regardless of national origin or immigration status, Garcetti's directive said, according to Metro News. Immigrants are the engine of the Los Angeles economy, with nearly two out of three residents foreign-born or children of immigrants, Garcetti said. An executive directive asks the fire chief and chiefs of the airport and port police to follow the Police Department's decades-old policy of not investigating individuals solely to determine their immigration status. The directive bars any city employee from co-operating with the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws or allowing use of city money or resources for such enforcement unless legally required to do so. Jails and police agencies around the U.S. have opted in recent years not to co-operate with immigration authorities, in some cases citing federal court rulings that immigrants cannot be held in those jails strictly because of their immigration status. Additionally, workers cannot give federal immigration agents special access to any city facility unless legally required to do so. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pre-meditated act: In other words, the Arabs' fate was rightly sealed by their refusal to endorse an arrangement that was oh so fair and for which Zionists made such magnanimous compromises, according to Rabble. Sandwiched between these two bookends of Zionist narrative -- of Arab crime and deserved punishment -- are other notable myths, each of which has served to quell the guilty conscience of those who know, but cannot face, Israel's unconscionable history its ethnic cleansing of Palestine, a pre-meditated act of depopulation that chased 75 per cent of Palestinians from their homeland. It starts with the assertion that the Palestinians walked away from the negotiating table in 1948 and ends with the claim that if only they had accepted the plan they would no longer be stateless. Noted historian Ilan Pappe has documented this dark episode with an abundance of archival evidence. A creature of exceptional longevity, this strange fish belongs to a family of other red herrings -- figments of the imagination -- that have whirled for decades in public consciousness. For the apologists of Zionism, the Arab rejection of the Partition Plan has been a favourite rhetorical device a red herring. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.