city: DAVID RIDER / TORONTO STAR By David Rider City Hall Bureau Chief Fri., June 9, 2017 Burma's world-famous civilian leader got a hero's welcome at Toronto city hall while protesters outside accused Aung San Suu Kyi of ignoring human rights atrocities in their homeland, according to Toronto Star. Suu Kyi met privately with Mayor John Tory on Friday before greeting a city council chamber packed with several hundred Burmese-Canadians who sang Happy Birthday, 10 days before she turns 72.A Nobel Peace Prize winner and only one of six people given honorary Canadian citizenship, she spent 15 years detained by a military dictatorship before her National League for Democracy was voted into power in 2015. Suu Kyi later spoke to several hundred Burmese Canadians in the council chamber as a few dozen human rights protesters marched outside. Her Canadian visit, which saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledge an extra 8.8 million for Burma's peace and stability programs, has triggered calls for officials to confront Suu Kyi about allegations of ongoing human rights abuses against her country's Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority. Article Continued Below Her Excellency has worked tirelessly to bring reforms and peace to Myanmar, another name for Burma, the mayor said. Tory did not publicly address those calls but said Suu Kyi, on a fact-finding mission to learn how to rebuild democracy in her homeland, can learn a lot from diverse and tolerant Toronto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ron gant: Bill Haslam signed the bill on Friday, according to Metro News. He had previously declined to say whether he had any concerns about the bill, which was sponsored by Republican Rep. According to the General Assembly's website Republican Gov. Ron Gant of Rossville and Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville. The Memphis Democrat says the measure will treat criminal defendants convicted of the same crime differently depending on where they were born. Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris says he's disappointed the governor signed the bill. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sanctuary cities: Hundreds of supporters and opponents of the measure crowded a public hearing, amid heightened concerns in some immigrant communities about Republican President Donald Trump's deportation policies, according to Metro News. An executive order issued by Trump to cut funding to sanctuary cities has been blocked, at least temporarily, by a federal judge. While some say the bill would make Massachusetts a so-called sanctuary state, backers including the American Civil Liberties Union argue the measure dubbed the Safe Communities Act would not violate federal law nor prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from doing their jobs. Republican Gov. The legislation would prevent the Massachusetts State Police from upholding our policy to detain individuals for federal authorities that have been convicted of heinous crimes, like murder and rape, Baker said in a written statement. Charlie Baker called for lawmakers to defeat the bill and not make Massachusetts a sanctuary state. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

statistics canada: The dip from 6.6 per cent in April was partially due a decrease in the number of people seeking work, according to CTV. However, among prime-age workers the unemployment rate dipped to a low of 5.8 per cent. Six per cent of Quebecers were unemployed, the lowest level since Statistics Canada started collecting the data in 1976. We've never seen this before so it's a pretty good report, said National Bank of Canada chief economist Stefane Marion. Across Canada, full-time employment for prime-aged workers rose 31,000 in May, the sixth robust increase in seven months. He said full employment for this key age group is important because they have the biggest propensity to obtain credit in the low interest rate environment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship program: The government will also accept a Senate recommendation that would make it easier for children to obtain citizenship without a Canadian parent, according to Globe and Mail. But they are rejecting efforts to raise the upper age for citizenship language and knowledge requirements from 54 to 59, saying it's out of step with the goal of making citizenship easier to obtain. This amendment recognizes the government's commitment to enhancing the citizenship revocation process to strengthen procedural fairness, while ensuring that the integrity of our citizenship program is maintained, Hussen said in a statement. The current law requires those between the ages of 14 to 64 to pass those tests; the Liberals want it changed to 18 to 54. The Senate has the choice of accepting the government's decision, rejecting it, or proposing further amendments of its own, which could further delay the legislation. Hussen thanked the Senate for its work making the bill even stronger and for providing an example of productive collaboration on strengthening important legislation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

business schools: Related American MBA students drawn to Canada's diversity Read more International students flooding some Canadian business schools with applications New data on potential applicants to global business schools, released recently by the U.S.-based Graduate Management Admission Council, show that between 2009 and 2016 Canada muscled its way onto a top-five list of international study destinations, according to Globe and Mail. The United States and Britain typically are preferred choices, but last year Canada moved into second place from fifth in 2009 as a destination for prospective MBA students from Africa. Kobusinge is one of a growing number of international students including a small but growing contingent from Africa who are pushing Canada up the charts as a preferred study destination. Over the same period, Canada climbed into third spot from fifth in 2009 for students from Central and South Asia, and stood fifth last year as a preferred location for prospective students from the United States and the Middle East. But researchers caution it is too early to assess the full impact of inward-looking practices reshaping overseas study choices. Some credit Canada's favourable profile to anti-immigrant policies in the United States and Britain that impose study and postgraduation restrictions on foreign students. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign: The disunited kingdom on display is divided among English and Scottish nationalists, young and old, migrants and natives, London and the rest, and is deeply unsure of its political and economic future, according to Hamilton Spectator. It's also enduring a terrorist campaign of a frequency and scale not seen for decades, with two attacks in London, a deadlier one in Manchester and five foiled plots in less than three months. Instead, the campaign has exposed a very different Britain for Prime Minister Theresa May, whatever the result of Thursday's vote. Even if May should secure the landslide for her Conservatives suggested in opinion polls when she decided to call the election, she will govern a country that agrees on little while facing an unprecedented array of hard choices. And yet it is busy pretending that challenge does not exist. From trade, tax and debt to immigration and security policy, they come with the U.K. adrift between an estranged EU and unpredictable U.S. The country is facing an existential challenge of the kind it faced in 1940, when confidence collapsed in the government to lead the nation in the Second World War and Winston Churchill took over, said Hugh Pemberton, a historian of contemporary Britain at Bristol University. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cases: The majority of cases dealt with by the tribunal involve people trying to bring spouses and other family members to Canada, according to CBC. It also hears cases of permanent residents, refugees and others who have been ordered out of the country. The Immigration Appeal Division a tribunal that hears rejected family-class immigration cases is experiencing a dramatic reduction in board members. MORE CALGARY NEWS Grizzly bears near Calgary prompt wildlife groups to install electric fenceMORE CALGARY NEWS Brian Burke on arenas, tax breaks and moving the Calgary Flames to Quebec According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada IRB 11 federally-appointed judges should be hearing appeals in Calgary and Vancouver for the entire western region. The Privy Council Office, which took over the appointment process last year, tells CBC News there is one full-time and one part-time position in Vancouver and one member in Calgary. But as of June 16, the IRB says it will be down to just one judge in each city. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent capacity: It's obviously very challenging, according to CBC. The report from the Iris Institute released Thursday says that the majority of shelters operate at about 94 per cent capacity. We were almost always full and we had to turn away over 120 women last year because we didn't have the beds to be able to help them, said Sarah Rosenhek, the executive director for Auberge Shalom, a shelter in Montreal. Based on the latest figures from 2014, there are 135 shelters across the province, with a total of 1,926 available spots for women with nowhere else to go. We do have to turn women away. - Nakuset, Executive Director of Native Women's Shelter It's not an understatement to say that we're in a crisis in terms of the funding situation for women's shelters in Quebec, said Rosenhek. Without it, we're nothing' Open Door homeless centre on verge of closing doors But many shelters are struggling to meet the diverse needs of some of Quebec's most vulnerable women due to a chronic lack of funding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

channel britain: Opinion Muslims in France a cautionary tale With three horrific terror attacks in Britain since March, the shoe is now on the other foot and the French are once again zeroing in on multiculturalism as the problem across the Channel, according to Globe and Mail. Britain's laissez-faire attitude toward the assertion of religious differences, even allowing the existence of Islamic Sharia councils to regulate conjugal disputes among Muslims, is considered by French thought leaders an abdication of the state's responsibility for ensuring that newcomers and their descendants assimilate. The country's young Muslims were alienated and, thousands of them, radicalized. On Monday, the nightly news on the main network of France's public broadcaster asked Have the British gone too far in the name of tolerance The France 2 reporter, adopting a somewhat incredulous tone, described a country where communities co-habitate, but do not necessarily mix. Islamic tribunals are also legal. Where secularism does not exist, while the Islamic veil in all its forms is accepted in schools, public hospitals and government offices. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration policies: Now, in cases spanning from Michigan to California, some of these immigrants are being told their time here is up, according to CTV. Immigrants who already have deportation orders and were allowed to stay in the country under the prior administration have become a target under President Donald Trump's new immigration policies, with some getting arrested on the spot during check-ins with officers. After a brief meeting, they're usually told to return months later to check in again. Such arrests have dismayed family members and sent chills through immigrant communities. Others have been released much like they were during President Barack Obama's administration in what immigration attorneys say appears to be a random series of decisions based more on detention space than public safety. In other instances, immigrants have been fitted with ankle-monitoring bracelets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kris kobach: Kris Kobach, the Republican secretary of state in Kansas, gained a national reputation for championing tough voter identification laws and helping to draft proposals in numerous states aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, according to The Chronicle Herald. Trump last month named him as vice chairman of a commission seeking to compile evidence of widespread voting fraud, an unsubstantiated claim that the president has blamed for his popular vote loss to Hillary Clinton. A Kansas official who has supported President Donald Trump's claim that millions of people may have voted illegally in last year's election launched a campaign for governor Thursday, sounding conservative themes that echo Trump's appeals to disaffected voters. Kobach called the situation a significant problem in Kansas, citing dozens of non-citizens on the state's voter rolls and nine criminal cases he brought as the only chief state elections officer with the power to prosecute election fraud. He was photographed going into a meeting with Trump In November with a document outlining homeland security proposals, including possible changes in voting laws. Kobach had once been considered a candidate to land a role in the administration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minority rights: Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Mike Blanchfield The Canadian Press Thu., June 8, 2017 OTTAWA Luis Fernando Monroy has literally found himself in the crosshairs of a Canadian foreign policy dilemma Is Canada truly living up to its commitment to protecting ethnic and minority rights across the globe In April 2013, he was shot three times in the face and once in the back by security guards outside the gates of Guatemala's Escobal mine, operated by Canada's Tahoe Resources Inc, according to Toronto Star. Monroy was part of group protesting the environmental impact the Canadian mine was having on his rural southeastern Guatemalan community, the disruption of rural life in the Indigenous area and a lack of consultation. They don't consult with us they just roll over all of our rights. That has become a familiar complaint against Canada's all-dominant mining industry, which owns more the half the companies operating in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Article Continued Below Read more Guatemala murder acquittal could have far-reaching Canadian consequences Government not doing enough on violence near Canadian-owned mines Report react-empty 156 The UN panel called for meaningful consultation with Indigenous groups affected by natural resource projects. Last week, the United Nations working group on business and human rights concluded a visit to Canada by urging the government and business to step up their efforts to prevent and address adverse human rights impacts of business activities, both at home and abroad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

multicultural centre: During the early years, the festival was held out of the multicultural centre in downtown Guelph, according to CBC. I would say we started with maybe 300 or 400 people, and now we have 24,000, 25,000 people coming, Callegari said. You see new people every day you're here, Callegari, president of the festival, said ahead of the event this weekend. It's come a long way since then and this weekend marks 31 years for the festival, which is held now in Riverside Park. A special highlight this year is Together, a mobile exhibit by the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada, which is currently touring the country for Canada 150. About 20 cultures will be represented at this year's festival, and as always, there will be plenty of food and entertainment from around the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim teammates: The lightweight scarves stay put and are less bulky than other hijabs, garments that cover the hair and are worn by many Muslim women to express their faith, according to Hamilton Spectator. We're more confident on the field, said junior lacrosse player Fadumo Adan. Deering High School in Portland, Maine, is providing sport hijabs with the goal of making Muslim girls comfortable and boosting their participation in sports. This one doesn't fall off. Tennis co-captains Liva Pierce and Anaise Manikunda raised more than 800 online to buy the sporty hijabs for their Muslim teammates after the school's athletic director learned of the product. No matter what I do, it won't fall off. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nordstrom inc: Nordstrom shares, which have fallen by about a third since December, rebounded over 12 per cent on the news, according to CTV. Nordstrom's board has formed a committee of independent directors to represent the company in any talks with the family over a potential sale. Nordstrom Inc. says Thursday that the group also includes President of Stores James Nordstrom and Chairman Emeritus Bruce Nordstrom. Nordstrom traces its roots back to a Seattle shoe store opened by Swedish immigrant John Nordstrom and a partner in 1901. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

official strategies: Both the federal and provincial government have official strategies to promote mental health, according to Huffington Post Canada. These strategies include suggestions and targets to improve the mental health of the whole population. This is a chance to discuss what many see as a silent crisis in men's mental health. They also include measures directed at high-risk specific sub-populations; including immigrants, youth and First Nations. However one high-risk sub-population is largely ignored in both the federal and provincial mental health strategies middle-aged men. This approach is commendable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

population base: The motion proposed that the House immigration committee undertake a study on immigration to Atlantic Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. It would look at population retention and immigration issues such as the challenges associated with an aging and diminishing population base, retention of current residents and the challenges of retaining new immigrants; how to increase immigration to the region; and an analysis of the Atlantic immigration pilot program which will see 2,000 more federal stream immigrants arrive in 2017. Motion M-39 was put forward in September by Alaina Lockhart, New Brunswick Liberal MP for Fundy Royal and passed through the House in November with all-party support. The government has allocated 10 committee meetings to the study with the first on May 29 and two since, with the most recent taking place Thursday. In a press conference in Ottawa Thursday attended by all 32 Liberal Atlantic MPs, Lockhart accused the opposition of obstructing the study at every opportunity. The committee has until November to prepare a report. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee agency: The money, to be paid by 2018, comes in response to a call from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. According to a transcript provided by the Foreign Ministry, Gabriel said the money will be in addition to Germany paying the lion's share of a 100-million-euro regional program run by the International Organization for Migration, according to Metro News. It's to be used to improve living conditions at refugee centres . Many refugees fleeing the Mideast and Africa transit through Libya before attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. On an unannounced visit to Tripoli on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said many migrants in Libya are in a desperate situation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee camp: It's a great honour to be able to call myself a Canadian citizen,'' Davies said in a statement, according to Huffington Post Canada. Not many people can say they're a Canadian citizen. The 16-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps phenom received his citizenship on Tuesday, paving the way for a first national team call-up. I'm very proud that I'm one of those people.'' The electrifying midfielder was born in a refugee camp to Liberian parents during that country's civil war in 2000 before the family relocated to Canada when he was five, eventually settling in Edmonton. This is our home. I'm also extremely thankful to my parents for everything they've done throughout the years, carrying the family to this safe environment,'' said Davies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

renewal application: Colotl's parents brought her to the U.S. illegally when she was 11, according to Metro News. She went on to graduate from college and applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012. As 29-year-old Jessica Colotl awaits the outcome, her latest experience highlights some young immigrants' fears of the Trump administration's immigration policies. She was approved in 2013 and successfully renewed twice but learned in early May that immigration authorities had revoked her status and denied her latest renewal application. I knew it would destroy my life, and it did that basically in a matter of seconds, she said following a federal court hearing in Atlanta on Thursday. Colotl said the news devastated her and immediately forced her to stop working as a paralegal and driving. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights: Suu Kyi's government has so far resisted those calls, which came from a special UN commission chaired by former secretary general Kofi Annan, according to CTV. Farida Deif, Canada director for Human Rights Watch, urged Trudeau to use the meeting with Suu Kyi on Parliament Hill to specifically push her to accept the UN call. But a major international human rights watchdog and groups representing Burmese refugees in Canada called on Trudeau to push Suu Kyi to allow an independent international investigation into allegations of widespread human rights abuses against the Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority in the western state of Rakhine. The prime minister should make clear that Myanmar's full co-operation with this independent and impartial investigation is expected by Myanmar's international donors and friends, said Deif. But during their meeting, Trudeau encouraged her to work with the UN, said his spokesman. Trudeau made no mention of the Rohingya situation during a brief public photo-op with Suu Kyi as the two exchanged pleasantries in his office. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

suu kyi: But a major international human rights watchdog and groups representing Burmese refugees in Canada called on Trudeau to push Suu Kyi to allow an independent international investigation into allegations of widespread human rights abuses against the Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority in the western state of Rakhine, according to Toronto Star. Suu Kyi's government has so far resisted those calls, which came from a special UN commission chaired by former secretary general Kofi Annan. AUNG HTET / AFP/GETTY IMAGES file photo By Mike Blanchfield The Canadian Press Wed., June 7, 2017 OTTAWA The meeting had the look of a feel-good visit between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and honorary Canadian citizen Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of Burma, also known as Myanmar. Farida Deif, Canada director for Human Rights Watch, urged Trudeau to use the Wednesday meeting with Suu Kyi on Parliament Hill to specifically push her to accept the UN call. Article Continued Below Trudeau made no mention of the Rohingya situation during a brief public photo-op with Suu Kyi as the two exchanged pleasantries in his office. The prime minister should make clear that Myanmar's full co-operation with this independent and impartial investigation is expected by Myanmar's international donors and friends, said Deif. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tory laughter: And, that's as far as she got before Tory laughter and heckling filled the room making it impossible to hear the Honourable member, according to Rabble. Clearly audible on some tapes of the incident is a Tory member saying, I don't beat my wife. Mitchell stated, One in 10 Canadian husbands beat their wives regularly. Do you, George This was representative of how men viewed the issue of spousal abuse or intimate partner violence as it's now known. On the other hand, we still have a very long way to go. We have made great strides from that distressing display of privileged white male entitlement in our House of Commons. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border officials: Days later, after an outcry from Indian officials, the officer was suddenly reissued a visa and flown back to Toronto, according to Toronto Star. In a statement in May, Canada's High Commissioner to India, Nadir Patel, expressed regret about the incident but would not reveal the rejected visitor's identity citing privacy protection. ANIRUDH BHATTACHARYYA / HINDUSTAN TIMES By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., June 7, 2017 The federal government is admitting border officials made a mistake when a retired anti-insurgency officer from India was deemed inadmissible to Canada and denied entry. Immigration officials subsequently confirmed the person as Tejinder Singh Dhillon. Canada border officials explained the refusal by indicating on a form letter that the 67-year-old had served a government that engages or has engaged in terrorism, human rights violations, crime against humanity or genocide. Dhillon, a retired senior officer with the Central Reserve Police Force CRPF India's largest paramilitary force under the home affairs ministry, was refused admission in May at the Vancouver airport on the way to his niece's wedding in Toronto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british streets: Valeria Khadija Collina last spoke with her 22-year-old son, Youssef Zaghba, by telephone just two days before he and two other men plowed a van into a crowd near London Bridge and went on a stabbing rampage, according to Toronto Star. Eight people were killed and dozens wounded. The Associated Press By Paisley Dodds And Nicole Winfield The Associated Press Wed., June 7, 2017 LONDON The youngest of the London Bridge attackers pleaded with his mother to settle with him in Syria but instead moved to Britain where his extremist views hardened and he fell into the company of a bloodthirsty gang that launched the latest attack on British streets, his mother said Wednesday. All three of the assailants were shot dead. But he changed, she said, when he went to Britain about a year ago and was seduced by radical views propagated on the internet. Zaghba, an Italian national of Moroccan descent, initially told his mother that he wanted to go to Syria to start a family in a religious Islamic climate not to fight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.