immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

rohingya: Based on interviews that IOM has conducted with survivors, Millman said, We believe 40 are missing and presumed drowned on the vessel, which was thought to have been carrying about 80 people, according to CBC. He said he didn't have information immediately about whether it was the worst death toll at sea since the exodus of Rohingya began Aug. 25 amid violence targeting them in Myanmar. Spokesman Joel Millman of the International Organization for Migration told reporters in Geneva that 23 deaths have been confirmed after eight more bodies were found overnight following an initial count of 15. More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since then. The Bangladeshi captain had not initially charged the passengers any fee for the transport and had been trying to avoid sea patrols or checkpoints, he said. Human rights nightmare' in Myanmar could spread, UN chief warns Myanmar government plans to redevelop torched Rohingya villages The very tragic accident involved a vessel that had been at sea for two days with no food and had faced choppy seas, Millman said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

st century: I have long said that if archeologists of the future want to understand the late 20th century they could do worse than to look at advertising, Trudeau said to me in an interview in 2016, according to Toronto Star. The same is obviously true of the 21st century. While that's an impressive amount of money far more than the government spends on newspapers and magazines, for instance it's also fascinating to see who the government is trying to reach. This week, CTV revealed what reporter Rachel Aiello found when she went digging through 1,500 pages of ad-spending documents recently released by the federal government. Article Continued Below Destination Canada, a Crown corporation set up to promote tourism to Canada, spent 4.3 million on social media posts, a lot of them directed at potential American visitors, according to CTV's analysis. The analysis shows a government heavily interested in talking to people outside Canada almost half of the social-media ad budget targeted at travellers, whether tourists or newcomers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tuliao: They sent me a specific clip of me singing for the Vancouver Canucks, which in itself was my original dream, Tuliao said Friday, the same day she decided she'd be kneeling with players, according to The Chronicle Herald. The 28-year-old singer and actor who made her foray into belting out O Canada for professional teams by performing at a Vancouver Whitecaps soccer match last year said the opportunity to sing for the Seahawks brought up some conflicting feelings. Arielle Tuliao said she broke into tears when she read an email from the Seahawks asking her to sing Canada's national anthem on Sunday as part of the team's celebration honouring Canadian fans. Tuliao wondered how she'd respond as players kneeled or locked arms during the Star-Spangled Banner in keeping with protests by NFL and NBA teams over police brutality against African-Americans and President Donald Trump's portrayal of their stance as unpatriotic. Tuliao said she won't kneel during the Canadian anthem because that would take away from the Seahawks' celebration of their growing fan base in Canada. How do I take a stand without bringing unnecessary drama to my country I want to honour the Seahawks for celebrating their true north fans but at the same time it's my job to also stand up for their rights, not just as American citizens, but as humans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tag: The Markham, Ont., company says the game is coming out soon for Apple and Android devices but it has yet to announce a release date. // 2, according to Metro News. This code loads the IFrame Player API code asynchronously. var tag tag.src var first Script Tag first Script Tag ; var player; // 3. Big-O-Tree Games says the game in which players chase cats and dogs with a cleaver, scavenge for ingredients and dodge immigration officials in no way is meant to be an accurate representation of Chinese culture. This function creates an and You Tube player // after the API code downloads. var frame youtube ; function for var i 0; i frame.length; i var id player new YT. Player id, height 363, width 542, video Id id, events 'on Ready' on Player Ready, ; ; // 4. In a Facebook post on Monday, New York Rep. The API will call this function when the video player is ready. function on Player Ready event var video Start Tracked video EndTracked false; var video Reset false; // set Interval function var video Current Time var video Percent Played video Current Time / 100; var STATE UNSTARTED -1, STATE ENDED 0, STATE PLAYING 1, STATE PAUSED 2, STATE BUFFERING 3, STATE VIDEOCUED 5; // var current Video Id var current Video Id var player State if player State STATE UNSTARTED player State STATE BUFFERING player State STATE VIDEOCUED && video Reset false && video Current Time 5 0 video Start Tracked video EndTracked false; video Reset true; // video Start Tracked, player State ; if video Current Time 5 && !video Start Tracked && player State ! STATE UNSTARTED && player State ! STATE BUFFERING && player State ! STATE VIDEOCUED current Video Id ; video Start Tracked true; video EndTracked false; video Reset false; if video Percent Played 95 && video Start Tracked && !video EndTracked && player State ! STATE UNSTARTED && player State ! STATE BUFFERING && player State ! STATE VIDEOCUED current Video Id ; video EndTracked true; video Start Tracked false; 250 ; function track Event event Name, id .ajax url '/youtube.get YouTube Info youtube Id ' id, data Type json type 'GET', success function data var tags instanceof Array ''; if event Name 'OMNITURE END' '', id, '', tags, else if event Name 'OMNITURE START' '', id, '', tags, ; A New York congresswoman this week urged all platforms not to carry the game or any other that glorifies in hurting any community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

week meeting: She sees the one-year position as a privilege and a responsibility she takes seriously, according to CBC. We're going to be a bit of a sounding board to Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos, said Murphy, who is in Ottawa this week meeting with fellow committee members leaders, academic experts and practitioners working in the field of poverty reduction, and individuals who have experienced poverty first-hand. Brenda Murphy, who lives in Grand Bay-Westfield and works with the Saint John Women's Empowerment Network, was selected from more than 400 nominees to sit on the Advisory Committee on Poverty. I think it's important that a national strategy really does connect with what's happening at the local level and also at the provincial level, too, because that's where the work on the ground is taking place and where we are seeing some success.'- Brenda Murphy, advisory committee member We will be giving some feedback into whether we think the poverty reduction strategy is going in the right direction and also trying to bring our experiences from the local level into that conversation. I think it's important that a national strategy really does connect with what's happening at the local level and also at the provincial level, too, because that's where the work on the ground is taking place and where we are seeing some success. '1057878595612', 'playlist Selector' 'container Selector' ' container29142323', 'ciid' 'caffeine14313132' ; She hopes to focus the discussion on people she believes are at risk of living in poverty, including the Indigenous community, people with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. Murphy has been involved with a number of anti-poverty programs in the greater Saint John area over the years and says she feels committed to sharing that information. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health care: This summer, Singh sat down at Vancouver's Caffe Brixton with Am Johal, where they talked about housing, what sets Singh apart from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, and what the NDP needs to do to win in the future, according to National Observer. I believe in social democratic values, universal social programs like health care, but expanding them into more universal services like pharmacare and dental care, Singh said. Today, he's proposing to shake-up the distribution of wealth in Canada, introducing a series of national programs to expand and improve healthcare and social assistance. Universal medical care should include services that are currently excluded. I want to expand daycare, a national housing plan. I want to expand single-tier medical services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

artist: Ai praised Canada for having a very open attitude in its refugee record, and bemoaned a global far-right movement that has demonized immigrants, according to CTV. The prolific and provocative artist is known for large-scale installations that deal with freedom of expression, human rights and technology. The outspoken artist was in Toronto to accept the Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship and promote a documentary that showcases the plight of displaced people around the world. He's lived much of his life in exile. Ai bemoaned the U.S. administration's plans to cap refugee admissions to 45,000 in the coming year, but says it reflects a broader antagonism in the West that must be confronted. His political criticism of the Chinese government resulted in his detainment for 81 days and the loss of his passport for two years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bricklaying trade: Aboo is one of six newcomers to complete their first job placements as part of a Fredericton-area training program sponsored by the province, according to CBC. It it designed to teach them the bricklaying trade so they can find employment in the construction industry. Now he's building walls. The program is the result of a partnership between the Department of Post-Secondary Training and Labour, the New Brunswick Community College and the Multicultural Association of Fredericton. It's the first time I use a four-foot level, he said. Newcomers hope to find new life as bricklayers Immigrants with unrecognized credentials offered help scaling barriers Aboo did masonry work in Syria but with stones and blocks, not bricks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

burmese authorities: He also called on Myanmar's authorities to immediately halt military operations, allow unfettered access for humanitarian aid, and ensure that all those who fled can return home, according to The Chronicle Herald. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, using Myanmar's former name of Burma, told council members We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority. With the number of Rohingyas fleeing to Bangladesh since Aug. 25 now topping 500,000, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the U.N.'s most powerful body on Thursday to take strong action. The time for well-meaning, diplomatic words in this council has passed, she said. Haley urged all countries to suspend the supply of weapons to the country's military until its members are held accountable for the brutal assault on the Rohingyas. We must now consider action against Burmese security forces who are implicated in abuses and stoking hatred among their fellow citizens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizen: It simply requires a legislative change to the Citizenship Act, according to Toronto Star. The wording of the new oath was recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Canadian Press reports that a revised oath requiring new Canadians to faithfully observe this country's treaties with Indigenous peoples is under consideration. It reads with the new addition in italics I swear or affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, her heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen. At the same time, Ottawa is rewriting the study guide used for the citizenship exam to include extensive references to Indigenous history and culture. Documents obtained by CP also suggest the government wants to change the script delivered at citizenship ceremonies to refer to the traditional territories the event is taking place on, and include remarks on the history of Indigenous peoples. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship canada: The only change to the oath is the addition of a reference to the treaties, according to The Chronicle Herald. That new language was the 94th and final recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which examined the legacy of Canada's residential schools. The oath has been in development since earlier this year and was road-tested in March during focus groups held by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Changing the wording of the oath requires a legislative amendment to the Citizenship Act, which the Liberals are currently in the process of overhauling. Source Source The Canadian Press The new oath comes along with a major refresh of the study guide used for the citizenship exam, which is now expected to also include extensive references to Indigenous history and culture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

criminology student: The petition has secured the backing of Manitoba MP and NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton, according to Metro News. These people have been deprived of citizenship in their own homeland and have been stateless and neglected for decades, said Shanmugathas. Pitasanna Shanmugathas, a fourth-year political science and criminology student at the University of Toronto, has launched a petition at the House of Commons. It's a crisis happening so many miles away, but our governments need to act and offer these people a home. The United Nations has called the events a textbook case of ethnic cleansing, and human-rights advocates around the world have warned a genocide may be and advocates have called on the government to take a strong stand in helping protect the Rohingya and end the crisis, including the creation of a UN-backed peacekeeping mission and a safe zone for refugees. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since last August after the government-backed military went on a killing rampage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

development agency: It said in a release Wednesday that heavy rains and floods in camps have left people facing extreme hardship, and have slowed down the building of emergency shelters and clean water tanks, and the delivery of aid, according to CTV. Oxfam says is has reached nearly 100,000 people with clean drinking water, emergency toilets, water pumps and food rations and is planning to help more than 200,000 people during the first phase of its response. The international development agency says nearly 480,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and more than 70 per cent are without adequate shelter, while half have no safe drinking water. Oxfam Bangladesh's humanitarian co-ordinator Paolo Lubrano says most of the families are huddled under sarongs and urgently need help. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, sleeping under open skies, roadsides, and forest areas with little or no protection, Lubrano said. Due to the volatile and chaotic situation, Oxfam says it is concerned about abuse and exploitation of women and girls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

figures show: They also show a decline since 2012-13 of 35.3 per cent, according to CBC. The Canada Border Services Agency CBSA told CBC News that it is using federal funding announced last year to expand the use of alternatives to detention. The figures show that the number of detainees being held for three months or longer dropped by 29.9 per cent in 2016-17 compared with 2015-16. The funding received is dedicated to developing and deploying a technology-enabled voice reporting solution that will make it easier for low-risk persons to comply with reporting conditions imposed by CBSA officers or the Immigration and Refugee Board, while living in the community, a CBSA spokesperson said in an email to CBC. Detainees are also now locked up an average of 19.5 days, down from 23.1 days last year, according to the agency's statistics. Part of the money is being spent on a new immigration holding centre IHC in Surrey, B.C., which should open in December 2018. Red Cross to monitor Canada's immigration detention centres Immigration detention system is legal, though not always applied perfectly judge Last year, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced 138 million for a new national immigration detention framework, with the aim of creating a more humane system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

group canadian: Goudreau has a large swastika tattooed on the centre of his chest and there are photographs shared online of him giving the Heil Sieg, the Nazi salute, according to CTV. When questionned about the tattoo and aligning himself with white supremacist and neo-nazi groups, Goudreau said his aim is to unite the right and stop immigration into Canada. Kevin Goudreau, chairman of the group Canadian Nationalist Front, told Evan Solomon on the Bell Talk Radio Network that he is not a white supremacist--- preferring instead to be referred to as a white nationalist---- and that the rally is an anti-Trudeau, anti-illegal immigration rally. I got the tattoo 20 years ago and it wasn't meant as anything to do with WWII Germany or anti-semitism. I wanted to take the symbol back, Goudreau told Solomon. It was just a thing to -- I was idealistic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee advocate: Dutton spoke on Sydney Radio 2GB after Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper published a photograph taken on Tuesday of some of the first 25 refugees from a male-only camp on the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea about to board a flight to the United States, according to Metro News. The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it expected 54 refugees from Nauru and Papua New Guinea to arrive in the United States in the coming days. A refugee advocate said the accusation by Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton was an attempt to justify Australia's refusal to shelter people seeking asylum. Radio broadcaster Ray Hadley said the newspaper photo looked like a fashion show on a catwalk somewhere in Paris or New York, with some refugees wearing designer sunglasses. Somebody once said to me that the world's biggest collection of Armani jeans and handbags was up on Nauru waiting for people to collect it when they depart, Dutton said. Dutton told 2GB the photo demonstrated There are a lot of people that haven't come out of war-ravaged areas, they're economic refugees, they've got on a boat, paid a people smuggler a lot of money. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

security forces: The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, demanded that Burma's authorities punish those in the military who have killed and abused members of the Rohingya, a long-persecuted Muslim group in Burma, a Buddhist-majority country, according to Toronto Star. Haley also called for a halt to the shipment of foreign arms to Burma's security forces. The remarks by the secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, came at a UN Security Council meeting devoted to the crisis, which has escalated into what he described as the world's fastest developing refugee emergency. Read more Burma officials blame insurgents for killing 45 Hindu villagers found in mass graves We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority, Haley said. Haley's remarks were the strongest she has yet made on the crisis, and raised the possibility that the United States might reimpose sanctions on Burma that were rescinded under the Obama administration. Article Continued Below The 15-member Security Council took no immediate action, but diplomats called it a starting point and noted that the council had not discussed Burma publicly since 2009. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toronto man: However, by law the 49-year-old Toronto man is considered removable by the Canada Border Services Agency CBSA . He is facing deportation Saturday and a lengthy separation from his family before he can return to Canada, according to Toronto Star. The government is utilizing valuable and limited resources to enforce removal of an individual who has a strong chance of returning to Canada as a permanent resident, said the family's immigration lawyer Ashley Fisch. Normally, the negative decision against Nasreldin Ali Akad Himad would not have mattered since he would be included in the permanent residence application with the immediate family members who were recognized as protected persons. This defies any sense of logic and accountability to taxpayers. Article Continued Below With exception of cases involving refugee parents with American-born children, who are U.S. citizens and ineligible, Fisch said she is only aware of one other case at the Immigration and Refugee Board that split the decision, on a recent family claim from Libya. Himad has already passed the criminal and medical screening, which means if he were to be deported to Sudan, it's virtually certain he would ultimately be approved for permanent residence and return to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

typeof b: But that funding is based on a three-year rolling average, Mackie said, according to CBC. We had two very low years and then 2016 jumped up and 2017 is on track to be another big year, said Mackie. Immigration drives P.E.I. population past 150,000 Executive director Craig Mackie says about two thirds of the association's funding comes from the federal Department of Immigration. We've been in conversation with them saying we need some funding released sooner because we really need more staff to be able to keep up with demand. if undefined typeof b in Not only are there more immigrants, said Mackie, their needs are changing as well. Also, he added, the more recent immigrants are arriving with better English skills, so instead of language training they are in need of employment counselling sooner. There has been a higher proportion of children under 15 arriving, he said, who need help adjusting to the school system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

willow grove: Prosecutors called it the largest monetary penalty ever levied in an immigration case, according to Metro News. The U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia said Asplundh employed thousands of unauthorized workers between 2010 and 2014, its top management remaining wilfully blind while lower-level supervisors hired people they knew were in the country illegally. Asplundh Tree Expert Co. of Willow Grove, a utility contractor best known for pruning and removing trees around power lines, pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal criminal charge and was ordered to pay a total of 95 million. In some cases, the supervisors rehired workers who'd already been let go by the company due to their immigration status. With a motivated workforce, including unauthorized aliens willing to be relocated and respond to weather-related events around the nation, Asplundh had crews which were easily mobilized that enabled them to dominate the market. This decentralized model tacitly perpetuated fraudulent hiring practices that, in turn, maximized productivity and profit, prosecutors said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sunrise ceremony: The spirit of the lake is already calling us, according to NOW Magazine. Bleary eyed, about 100 of us shuffle onto the misty grounds of the Scarboro Mission on the edge of the bluffs on September 24 for a sunrise ceremony to show a little love for the lake that gives and gives to millions of us everyday. We rise in the dark before the sun comes up. This is Toronto's inaugural Great Lakes Water Walk. Water is life, says Indigenous elder and Trent University professor Shirley Williams, encouraging the gathering to start every morning with a water drinking ritual first gulp to cleanse the mind for the day's journey; second gulp to cleanse the body; third gulp to cleanse the heart and give thanks for the journey ahead. Indigenous grandmothers have led similar walks around these lakes, but never one dedicated to shaking off the concrete brain fog on Toronto's shores and re-connecting this city's residents to the water source that keeps us alive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

australian officials: Another 27 refugees flew to Port Moresby on Wednesday from a camp in Nauru, he said, according to The Chronicle Herald. Their journey would end in Los Angeles via the Philippines, Qatar and Chicago, Rintoul said. The first 25 refugees from a male-only camp on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island had flown out of the national capital Port Moresby on Tuesday for the United States via the Philippines and Qatar, Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said. The U.S. State Department said it expected 54 refugees from Nauru and Papua New Guinea to arrive in the United States in the coming days. Australian officials declined to comment. The origin of the journey for the two additional refugees was not clear. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent growth: The estimates show a population of 152,021 for the province on July 1 of this year, according to CBC. With 1.7 per cent growth from July 2016 to July 2017, P.E.I. was the fastest growing province in the country. P.E.I. close to 150,000 population target Or is it In fact, the government agency has adjusted previous estimates, and now shows the province hit that target at the end of 2016. Nationally, growth was 1.2 per cent. if undefined typeof b in A big boost to immigration, starting at the beginning of 2016, is driving the growth. Estimates will not be reconciled with the 2016 census until September 2018. With 2,264 arriving, close to 90 per cent of the growth from July 2016 to July 2017 can be accounted for by immigration. if undefined typeof b in Census could bring down estimates The current population estimates are still based on the 2011 census. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employment pool: The percentage of minority first-time episodic series directors has more than doubled since the 2009-10 season, while the percentage of female first-time directors has nearly tripled, according to CTV. The fact is, it all starts with the pipeline, guild President Thomas Schlamme said in a statement, with hiring decisions made now affecting who will be in the employment pool in two years, five years, 10 years' time. They're part of record growth and diversity in the pipeline of incoming directors, the study of the 2016-17 TV season found. Our research shows that when employers actually do the work of being inclusive, they find talented directors who overwhelmingly succeed in establishing longer-term careers. The expanding world of TV has brought more opportunity overall, with streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu joining broadcast and cable platforms to push the combined number of TV series to 400-plus and counting. Schlamme credited the guild's effort to educate the industry and hold employers accountable through contracts for bringing about what he called meaningful improvement in diversity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

consulting services: The 44-year-old entered a guilty plea in Fort McMurray provincial court, according to CBC. She faces a fine of up to 100,000 and not more than two years imprisonment. Charie Santos pleaded guilty under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to representing people applying for status in Canada. Fort McMurray woman charged with immigration fraud The court did not hear details of the case Wednesday. The Canadian Border Services Agency said 11 people and nine business owners were affected by her consulting services between June 2011 and January 2014. The Crown said the facts will be presented during sentencing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ebrahim toure: The 46-year-old, who was profiled earlier this year as part of a Star investigation into Canada's immigration detention system, said he is not trying to stay in Canada and is willing to be deported, according to Toronto Star. He said he was born in Gambia and grew up partly in Guinea, but has no identity documents. Ebrahim Toure, who has been locked up at Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay since February 2013 despite not facing any criminal charges, is arguing that his detention is indefinite and arbitrary because there is no reasonable prospect he will be deported in the foreseeable future. He can't prove his citizenship to either country, so neither will issue him a passport or agree to take him back. They believe his name is Bakaba Touray and that he is withholding information that would allow them to deport him. Immigration officials, meanwhile, accuse Toure who used multiple aliases while working illegally in the U.S. in the early 2000s and previously insisted he was 100 per cent from Guinea of deceiving them and intentionally thwarting his removal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.