women minister: In September 2016, the Globe and Mail reported that Monsef, hailed by the Liberals as Canada's first Afghan-born MP, was actually born in Mashhad, Iran, a city about 200 kilometres away from the border with Afghanistan, according to The Chronicle Herald. At the time, Monsef said her parents fled Afghanistan as the security situation there deteriorated and that after her father was killed, her mother never discussed what the minister described as the unspeakable pain of those early years until media inquiries prompted Monsef to press her for details. Just like everybody else, I'm waiting my turn, the status of women minister said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week. She told us she did not think it mattered, Monsef said in a September 2016 statement. Monsef, who had listed her birthplace as Herat, Afghanistan, when she applied for a Canadian passport, promised she would take steps to fix the error. We were Afghan citizens, as we were born to Afghan parents, and under Iranian law, we would not be considered Iranian citizens despite being born in that country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya insurgents: Bangladesh said the repatriations are to begin within two months, according to CBC. More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when the army began clearance operations following an attack on police posts by a group of Rohingya insurgents. Myanmar announced the agreement on Thursday, but provided no details on how many Rohingya refugees would be allowed to return home or how soon that might happen. Rohingya subjected to 'dehumanizing apartheid' Amnesty International Human Rights Watch accuses Myanmar military of widespread rape The office of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the agreement on the return of displaced persons from Rakhine state was signed Thursday by cabinet officials in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital. Under that agreement, Rohingya were required to present residency documents, which few have, before being allowed to return to Myanmar. It said the pact follows a formula set in a 1992 repatriation agreement signed by the two nations after an earlier spasm of violence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

single-dwelling units: In 2015, the city had at least 13,812 suites, and 2 per cent of those suites were listed on the city's suite registry as fully sanctioned, according to Metro News. From that original number, she was able to determine 67 per cent as being operated by absentee landlords. Kylee van der Poorten recently published her work in the Canadian Geographer, cracking tropes about the Calgary suite narrative using a combination of publicly available data sets to show where suites are hidden in the city, and who may own them. When it gets into the classic illegal suite narrative, she applied land use data along with census information about housing structure types to narrow down single-detached homes and further identify which ones had additional single-dwelling units. What we do through local law ... it shapes the housing market. These numbers, the remaining 13,534 units, she divvies up into the 73 per cent that exist in suite-permitted zones and 27 per cent in restricted zones. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vice president: The person who filled the need we were looking for was a gentleman we deemed to be very adept at process engineering, said Coles, according to CBC. Liberals look at making skilled immigrant loans pilot project permanent Employers learn details of program aimed at bringing skilled immigrants to Atlantic Canada The fact that he was a recent immigrant to P.E.I. was a bonus ... We didn't hire for diversity, we hired to fill a need. The vice president of architecture and engineering firm Coles Associates says what a potential employee can do for the company is more important than where they're from. They need skilled people' He's talking about Mursulin Abul, originally from Bangladesh. When you're dealing with detailed tax information, we want to make sure they have a good understanding in their own language.'- Doug Ezeard His decision had nothing to do with conditions in his home country he wanted to further his education. He moved to Canada in 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world care: As International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau toured the crisis border regions in Bangladesh, her parliamentary secretary announced in Ottawa the government will direct 50 million of its foreign aid over the next five years to pay for simple school meal programs in four troubled countries Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and Syria, according to Toronto Star. The announcement was low-key. But what does it look like in action, and more important, does the world care This week, some of the answers to those questions came into clearer focus. The money isn't new, but comes from existing departmental funds, and will go to the United Nations World Food Program which provides nutritious school meals. Or the needs in Yemen where widespread hunger and malnutrition is the direct result of a Saudi blockade in retaliation against Houthi rebel strikes. Article Continued Below And yet, the decision to spend 50 million on school lunches seems curious, especially given the massive needs in Bangladesh where 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have flooded across the border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

artists: We're not really supporting folks who have grown up with tons of privilege, for whom art might just be an interesting intellectual pursuit, explains creative director Jason Samilski, according to NOW Magazine. There's an urgency to the realities and identities of the artists we support, and when that art gets produced we see a really powerful result. The Margin of Eras Gallery launches its first exhibition on November 24 with 11 artists whose works span issues including Black masculinity, immigration and migrant work, mental health and economic marginalization. A specific curatorial theme hasn't been imposed on the inaugural show. The arts initiative provides funding, mentorship and exhibition opportunities for new-generation artists facing marginalization and systemic barriers. Instead, the artists are all CUE funding recipients, which ties their participation together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

security situation: At the time, Monsef said her parents fled Afghanistan as the security situation there deteriorated and that after her father was killed, her mother never discussed what the minister described as the unspeakable pain of those early years until media inquiries prompted Monsef to press her for details, according to National Observer. She told us she did not think it mattered, Monsef said in a September 2016 statement. In September 2016, the Globe and Mail reported that Monsef, hailed by the Liberals as Canada's first Afghan-born MP, was actually born in Mashhad, Iran, a city about 200 kilometres away from the border with Afghanistan. We were Afghan citizens, as we were born to Afghan parents, and under Iranian law, we would not be considered Iranian citizens despite being born in that country. Since then, she has submitted documentation to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, but is still waiting for a resolution. Monsef, who had listed her birthplace as Herat, Afghanistan, when she applied for a Canadian passport, promised she would take steps to fix the error. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver projects: But how much of the 40 billion the B.C. government will receive, and how much of it will be dedicated to Vancouver projects, remained unclear after Duclos declined to give specifics, according to Vancouver Courier. In fact, many of these details are not yet finalized, he said of the strategy which also promises a rent supplement program in 2020 that will deliver an average of 2,500 per year to 300,000 low-income households. The strategy also promises to improve the availability and quality of housing and ensure at least 25 per cent of funds go to projects for women, girls and their families.article continues below Trending Stories Fentanyl dealer says demand for deadly drug is driving Vancouver market Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysis 15.5 million Vancouver home likely a teardown False killer whale dies at Vancouver Aquariumrelated City of Vancouver identifies more neighbourhoods to house homeless18 per cent of Vancouverites living in substandard housing Analysis Less talk, more action needed in child poverty fight The federal government is back in housing and in a big way with more ambition, more money and a greater desire to collaborate, said Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister responsible for housing, at a news conference at the Woodward's building in the Downtown Eastside. Housing Minister Selina Robinson and Mayor Gregor Robertson joined Duclos Wednesday and welcomed the news of a national strategy to tackle affordability and homelessness. The NDP-led government promised in its election campaign earlier this year to build 114,000 rental and co-op homes over 10 years, and provide renters with an annual cheque for 400. Robinson told the Courier after the announcement that the B.C. government will work on a bi-lateral agreement with the federal government to finalize the province's portion of the funding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

washington decision: With everything happening in our White House in Washington, D.C., I know many nations have questioned our nation's leadership on some very important issues and have questions whether my nation will remain a shining city on the hill, said Inslee, who is a Democrat, according to National Observer. Inslee drew a standing ovation when he mentioned Washington state's decision to join a lawsuit to prevent Trump's administration from deporting thousands of young immigrants brought to America as children and who live in the United States illegally, often referred to as dreamers. Jay Inslee said people are questioning whether the U.S. will continue providing leadership around the world as a result of Trump's presidency. They are not a danger, he said. Inslee is the first governor from Washington to address the legislature since 1984. They are dreamers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum system: The fact that the number of successful Haitian claims is very low should serve as a cautionary tale for those still contemplating crossing into Canada illegally from the U.S. to seek asylum, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, according to CTV. Coming to Canada first of all has to be done through regular channels, and secondly the asylum system is only for people who are in genuine need of protection, Hussen said. Since February, the Immigration and Refugee Board has received 14,467 claims in total from what they call irregular border crossers, and the overall acceptance rate sits at 60 per cent. It's not for everyone. Just under 60,000 Haitians are covered by the policy that protects against deportation. People have been crossing into Canada between official checkpoints in increasing numbers since the start of the year, but the summer months saw a major surge after the U.S. government notified those who hold temporary protected status in that country that their status would be under review. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

attorney erin: He will remain on GPS monitoring, according to Toronto Star. It means he can go home with his family for, we don't know how long, attorney Erin O'Neil-Baker told The Hartford Courant. An attorney for Marco Reyes Alvarez said Wednesday the Department of Homeland Security has agreed not to arrest, detain or deport Alvarez while his appeals paperwork is being processed. We know that at any point the second circuit appeals court could make a decision on his case, but while those are pending the Department of Homeland Security, they won't deport him. The father of three was supposed to board a plane to Ecuador on Aug. 8 but instead took refuge inside the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church. Alvarez entered the U.S. illegally in 1997 and has been living in Meriden. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

australia-born senators: She said Wednesday she discovered she was British while gathering evidence ahead of a December deadline for Australia-born senators to provide documented proof that they had not inherited the citizenship of an immigrant parent or grandparent, according to CTV. She will resign when the Senate resumes next week. Skye Kakoschke-Moore is a member of the Nick Xenophon Team minor party. The ruling conservative coalition could lose two House of Representative seats in byelections next month over inherited citizenship. Australia is rare if not unique in the world in banning dual nationals from sitting in Parliament. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

experience: Shan's appointment as welcomer-in-chief was confirmed at a recent Toronto City Council meeting, with the Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge River representative taking over from Coun, according to Metro News. Joe Mihevc. Neethan Shan hopes his own experience as a refugee will let him hit the ground running. Shan will also remain the city's Youth Advocate. As someone who arrived as a refugee, to be able to help others who might be going through similar challenges is very humbling. I came to Canada, aged 16, from the civil war in Sri Lanka, so I can bring lived experience and professional experience together, he said Tuesday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

haitian claims: Only 298 have had their claims finalized so far, and just 29 of them, or 10 per cent, have been accepted, according to CBC. Quebec not expecting another wave of Haitian asylum-seekers Canada on alert as U.S. ends protection program for Haitians Another 139 claims from Haitians were rejected, 68 were abandoned and 62 were withdrawn or terminated, according to the data. Data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board IRB on Wednesday shows that 6,304 citizens of Haiti claimed refugee status after crossing illegally into Canada between February and October, about 44 per cent of the total number. The fact that the number of successful Haitian claims is very low should serve as a cautionary tale for those still contemplating crossing into Canada illegally from the U.S. to seek asylum, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. It's not for everyone. Coming to Canada first of all has to be done through regular channels, and secondly the asylum system is only for people who are in genuine need of protection, Hussen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health condition: Section 38-1C states that a person can't be admitted to Canada if they have a health condition that might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.''The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration is studying medical inadmissibility criteria for newcomers at the request of provincial and territorial ministers and has heard from numerous groups who argued the rules discriminate against people with disabilities and should be scrapped, according to Metro News. Hussen appeared before the committee Wednesday, capping three days of hearings, and said the current rules that have been in place for 40 years are in need of an overhaul. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said he's committed to changing the rules currently spelled out in the country's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and left the door open to the possibility of repealing the controversial section altogether. This provision needs to be changed. I personally think this provision is out of date in terms of looking at those two things. It's simply not in line with our government's policies with respect to moving towards an accessibility agenda, but also with ... how Canadians are increasingly of the opinion that we should be more inclusive as a society, Hussen said before the committee. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health condition: Section 38-1C states that a person can't be admitted to Canada if they have a health condition that might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services, according to CTV. The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration is studying medical inadmissibility criteria for newcomers at the request of provincial and territorial ministers and has heard from numerous groups who argued the rules discriminate against people with disabilities and should be scrapped. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said he's committed to changing the rules currently spelled out in the country's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and left the door open to the possibility of repealing the controversial section altogether. Hussen appeared before the committee Wednesday, capping three days of hearings, and said the current rules that have been in place for 40 years are in need of an overhaul. It's simply not in line with our government's policies with respect to moving towards an accessibility agenda, but also with ... how Canadians are increasingly of the opinion that we should be more inclusive as a society, Hussen said before the committee. This provision needs to be changed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

john rae: The provision is at the centre of public hearings by a parliamentary committee to review a provision of Canada's immigration law that rejects immigrants who are expected to place excessive demand on health or social services if let into the country, according to Toronto Star. Disability is the last major characteristic that remains a barrier to settling and building a life in Canada, and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities believes this provision is outdated and discriminatory and must be removed from the Immigration Act, said John Rae, a vice chair of the council. Rights groups and individuals affected by the so-called medical inadmissibility rule say not only is it inhumane, but it also breaches the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On Wednesday, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen agreed the rule needs to be updated. Article Continued Below This provision needs to be changed. He was vague on exactly how the law might be changed, saying no decisions would be made without input from the provinces and territories who bear most of the costs of health and social services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people canada: Canada good, according to CBC. Thank you, thank you, Canada, he said. Speaking in Kurdish, translated by his daughter Yara, Ahmad, 42, has nothing but praise for what the Canadian government has done to help them resettle. People Canada good, yes. Unable to speak English, Ahmad hasn't been able to get a job, so he works every day to learn the language of his new home, taking English classes through a federally funded course. The Ahmads Fadel, his wife Rania, 40, their sons Mostafa, 14 and Mohamad, 9, and daughters Yara 15 and Eman six months were part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's commitment to resettle more than 40,000 Syrians fleeing their war-torn homeland. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ratko mladic: In all, the governing Liberals say they'll put up 40 billion over the next decade, according to The Chronicle Herald. A meeting is to be held on Thursday to discuss the issue of sexual harassment in Canada's screen industry. The government also plans to create a federal housing advocate and legislate a right to housing. Canada's performers union ACTRA has invited industry stakeholders to the closed-door meeting to discuss how to implement practical, concrete measures to tackle the issue in a way that also leads to cultural change. RETIRED GENERAL 'AMAZED Retired Canadian general Lewis Mac Kenzie says he is amazed it took six years to bring former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic to justice. Actress-writer Susan Coyne says while sexual misconduct has long been a part of the Canadian industry, it's a problem that seems to be growing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ratko: Kosovo has welcomed the conviction of Serbian military chief Ratko Mladic on charges of genocide and other crimes by a United Nations court, according to The Chronicle Herald. Kosovo's Foreign Ministry said the verdict marked an act of international justice and satisfaction for the Bosnia war victims. Ratko Mladic all times local 5 50 p.m. The ministry also recalled that its own ethnic Albanian population, like Bosnians, suffered at the hands of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and his generals, who applied in Kosovo, too, all the forms of crimes described in the charges against Mladic. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says the genocide conviction of Ratko Mladic shows that those who perpetrate atrocities cannot outrun justice. Kosovo was previously a province of Serbia that declared independence in 2008. 4 45 p.m. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

showcases pieces: Some of the pieces in here are 150 years old.'- Janet Prebushewsky Danyliuk The Ukrainian Museum of Canada in Saskatoon provides some answers with its current exhibition, Braving the Cold Winter Wear of Ukrainian Pioneers, which showcases 24 pieces of outerwear from years gone by, according to CBC. As a museum we wanted do to something to bring our history alive and also to meet the magic of the season, too, and show that winter was very colourful and very beautiful, said museum director and CEO Janet Prebushewsky Danyliuk. Which raises the question how did people survive the elements here 100 years ago The way these things were constructed, too, they would last forever. The oldest pieces on display are a felt coat dating back to 1867 and a sheepskin coat from the 1870s. Prebushewsky Danyliuk said the exhibition shows how immigrants used the handmade, traditional clothing they brought from Ukraine to adapt to the Canadian winters. The most recent pieces are nearly 100 years old, from the 1930s. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump administration: Haitian migrants have until July 2019 to return to their country, according to Toronto Star. On Wednesday, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada released data on the outcomes of the 1,314 asylum decisions made involving those who crossed unguarded points along the border with the United States from February to October. The federal government has been on high alert since the Trump administration announced this week it will end its temporary residency permit program that has allowed 60,000 Haitians to stay in the United States. Of those, 941 were accepted and 373 rejected. Almost 12,900 of the 14,470 refugee claims are still pending. Some other 258 claims were either abandoned or withdrawn. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship canada: While a rapid impact evaluation the population was conducted by the government for the first wave of arrivals, the auditor general went digging over the longer term, looking to see whether Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada was both providing the services newcomers needed and tracking what happened next, according to National Observer. This audit is important because the Syrian refugee initiative will succeed in the long term only if the people it brought to Canada integrate into Canadian society, the report said. We were concerned about the department's inability to track whether the Syrian refugees had access to basic provincial services, such as health care and education especially considering that part of the department's objective was to help Syrian refugees benefit from Canada's social, medical, and economic systems, the auditor general's report said. While the federal government did have a plan to track outcomes, it either didn't collect all the required data outright, or had trouble getting from the provinces and settlement organizations, the report said. Still, by March 2017, the auditor general concluded that more than 80 per cent of the new arrivals had their needs assessed, and 75 per cent of those who received language assessments did attend language classes. So what happened, for example, was that Syrians in some parts of the country faced lengthy wait times for language classes because the government wasn't keeping an eye on those wait lists and in turn ensuring funds were being allocated where they were needed most. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world war: Rating NNNIn Trace, Jeff Ho weaves an intricate and harrowing account of his family's immigration journey between two places, Hong Kong and Toronto, according to NOW Magazine. Combining his animated acting and virtuoso piano chops there are two pianos on either side of the stage Ho seamlessly integrates classical and show tunes into his complex story. See listing. The multi-generational, transnational, non-linear narrative includes many characters but focuses mostly on Ho's cigarette- and mah-jong-obsessed grandmother and her escape from China to then-British Hong Kong during the Second World War, and Ho's own experience arriving in Toronto as a child along with his mother's extreme efforts to secure a middle-class existence. Things become clearer as the narrative progresses, but a family tree primer in the program, or perhaps some onstage signaling of where/when a certain scene is taking place would go a long way. With Ho's fast-paced switching between characters, time and place it can be a bit hard to follow at the outset. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

childhood arrivals: While he knew the significance of the protection he received under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, he had one problem he didn't have the money to pay the 495 registration fee required to renew his participation in the program for two more years, according to Metro News. Park worked as a private tutor, and money was tight in the late spring and summer months when school was out. Nurimaro Park, 26, is one of about 800,000 people who had benefited from an Obama-era program that extended protections to immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children. He figured he could re- enrol at the end of the year the rules of the program allowed people to renew lapsed registrations as long as a full year hadn't passed. Those who were enrolled in the program would be eligible to file for one last two-year extension if their registration was close to expiring. In September, though, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administration is phasing out the program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

childhood development: The report says the child poverty rate in B.C. in 2015 was 18.3 per cent, representing 153,000 children, half of them living in Metro Vancouver, and that the overall rate is nearly a full percentage point above the national average, according to CTV. First Call's provincial co-ordinator Adrienne Montani says children from single-parent families experienced poverty at 48 per cent, more than four times the rate of kids with two parents. The grim reality of growing up poor is outlined in a report by First Call, which wants public policy initiatives including a commitment to early childhood development and economic equality to give kids a chance to succeed. The report says that in 2015, a single parent working full time for the whole year for minimum wage would have earned only 18,761. Families on welfare, the majority of whom have disabilities or other health conditions, struggle to meet their basic needs, and frequently have to rely on food banks and other charitable sources to feed and clothe their children. The statistics on the depth of poverty show poor children in B.C., including those living with parents working full-time or part-time, are being raised on median annual incomes more than 10,000 below the poverty lines for their respective family sizes, the report says. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.