atlantic canada: The joint federal-provincial program designated 2,000 spaces for the four Atlantic provinces in 2017, and the program will also run this year and the next, according to CBC. Nova Scotia had a quota of 792 spaces in 2017 but only filled 201 of those spots, said Suzanne Ley, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot launched in March 2017 and was designed to bring more skilled workers to Atlantic Canada by quickly identifying employers and reducing applicant processing time to six months or less. It's common in Year 1 for low uptake for immigration programs. MLAs on the standing committee on economic development listen to a presentation on immigration Thursday Robert Short/CBC In New Brunswick, however, the 2017 quota was 646 people and 487 foreign workers received job offers under the pilot. It's important to understand it can often take several years for a new immigration program to fully ramp up, Ley told the Nova Scotia Legislature's standing committee on economic development Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship fridays: A judge revoked his citizenship Friday, according to the U.S. Justice Department, which announced the ruling Tuesday, according to Metro News. Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler said Singh exploited the U.S. immigration system, which undermines both the nation's security and our lawful immigration system. Baljinder Singh became the first person to be denaturalized under Operation Janus, a Homeland Security Department initiative that revokes citizenship of those who circumvented background checks during the naturalization process. Federal authorities accused the Carteret resident of using an alias to avoid deportation. Singh filed an application for asylum under the name Baljinder the following month, and he married a U.S. citizen, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said Singh, who was born in India, arrived in the U.S. in 1991 with no proof of identity, and gave authorities the name Davinder Singh.A judge ordered him to be deported in January 1992 after he failed to appear in immigration court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdi kwan: During a town hall event in Lower Sackville on Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, responding to a question from Abdi's sister who attended the event, acknowledged that the care system failed Abdi, according to The Chronicle Herald. Kwan said this acknowledgement of failure should make it clear to government something must be done. Speaking with The Chronicle Herald, Kwan said she is appealing to both the federal ministers of immigration and public safety to intervene and stop the process of seeking his deportation. If the prime minister is saying that the system has failed Abdi then what action will the government do to rectify this she said. On Thursday, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also voiced concern on Twitter over efforts to deport Abdi. It is within the authority of the minister to take action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border protections: The White House did not deny his remark but issued a statement saying Trump supports immigration policies that welcome those who can contribute to our society, according to CTV. Trump's comments came as two senators presented details of a bipartisan compromise that would extend protections against deportation for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants -- and also strengthen border protections as Trump has insisted. Trump's contemptuous description of an entire continent startled lawmakers in the meeting and immediately revived charges that the president is racist. The lawmakers had hoped Trump would back their accord, an agreement among six senators evenly split among Republicans and Democrats, ending a months-long, bitter dispute over protecting the Dreamers. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate' s No. 2 Democrat, explained that as part of that deal, a lottery for visas that has benefited people from Africa and other nations would be ended, the sources said, though there could be another way for them to apply. But the White House later rejected it, plunging the issue back into uncertainty just eight days before a deadline that threatens a government shutdown. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

debbie olfert: It is surreal, according to The Chronicle Herald. I don't want to catch myself living what they must have felt, what they must have gone through, she said Wednesday. Debbie Olfert said she can't believe they are gone. How frightened they must have been. The Jamaica Constabulary Force has identified the couple as 81-year-old Melbourne Flake and 70-year-old Etta Flake. How terrifying. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive director: We are seeing incredible results from our hard work, she said, according to The Chronicle Herald. We've seen growth in provincial immigration selection from 2013, where we nominated 600 individuals to come to Nova Scotia. Despite that, immigration numbers are higher than ever, thanks to a suite of programs used to attract newcomers, said Suzanne Ley, executive director of the province's Office of Immigration. In 2017, we supported 1,652 people and their families to make their life in Nova Scotia. As of last November, 4,135 had come to Nova Scotia, Ley said. All told, 2,529 immigrants came to the province under various programs in 2013. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

faith healer: This comes as Canada's federal government is conducting a campaign south of the border aimed at discouraging asylum seekers from undertaking irregular crossings, and amid concerns about a potential new wave of Salvadoran asylum seekers coming from the U.S. We can't forget about that night' 1 year later, refugees recall near-fatal Christmas Eve walk across border I have hope' Most refugees now waiting 16 months to have claims heard Kouevi said he left Togo, his home country, late in 2014 after his family disowned him for converting to Christianity, according to CBC. He says his father was a faith healer who threatened to have him killed for rejecting those traditions. It can kill you, the 36-year-old from West Africa, hands wrapped in thick bandages, said Wednesday of the harsh winter conditions he experienced crossing the U.S.-Canada border on foot in search of refuge last week. That set off a journey that wound through South America and into the U.S. It culminated on Friday in a 700 car ride from someone Kouevi says he didn't know, who drove him from Minnesota to the northern edge of North Dakota. Both had most of their fingers amputated due to frostbite. Razak Iyal, 35, and Seidu Mohammed, 24, crossed into Manitoba on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve in 2016. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

future cases: The unidentified 17-year-old girl says in a court declaration filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington that she has been asking for an abortion for two weeks, according to Metro News. She says she wants one as soon as possible. In three earlier cases, the judge ordered the administration to allow immigrant teens to end their pregnancies. The American Civil Liberties Union is representing the girl and also seeking an order that would apply to future cases. The ACLU describes her as an unaccompanied minor, suggesting she was detained while trying to enter the U.S. It is not known where the teen is from or where she is being held. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

labour shortages: Launched last March, the project is aimed at attracting and retaining skilled immigrants for the workforce, as a way of supporting population growth and addressing labour shortages, according to Metro News. Each of the Atlantic provinces designate employers that want to hire skilled immigrants, while newcomers get a job offer and an individualized settlement plan for them and their families. Provincial Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Thursday she remains optimistic the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project will be a wonderful tool, and she's confident Nova Scotia is doing the work needed to promote it. Diab's department said 279 Nova Scotia employers were designated and 201 candidates were endorsed in 2017. New Brunswick more than doubled Nova Scotia's output in 2017, prompting questions Thursday from the legislature's economic development committee. However, the province ran fourth regionally in meeting its 2017 targets after being given 792 of the 2,000 slots available under the federal-provincial program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

michael bennet: We are now working to build support for that deal in Congress, according to CBC. Details of the plan were not immediately available. The senators, three Democrats and three Republicans, have reached an agreement in principle that addresses border security, the diversity visa lottery, chain migration/family reunification and the Dream Act, they wrote in a statement. The significance of their agreement was initially unclear. Trump meets with key lawmakers to discuss U.S. immigration reform Trump suggests 2-phase immigration deal for 'Dreamers' The six senators are Democrats Dick Durbin, Michael Bennet and Robert Menendez, and Republicans Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and Cory Gardner. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said earlier Thursday no deal has been reached and said the White House would keep working toward an agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sex-related claims: What naturalization does is provide the asylum seeker another layer of protection, Espinosa said, according to Toronto Star. Read more Analysis The clear timeline suggesting Donald Trump Jr. co-ordinated with Wiki Leaks Analysis Article Continued Below Trump Jr. to be interviewed by House intel panel behind closed doors over Russia contacts Dropped charges an important victory, Julian Assange says Ecuador gave Assange asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims. Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said officials accepted Assange's request for naturalization in December, and they continue to look for a long-term resolution to a situation that has vexed officials since 2012. Sweden dropped the case, but Assange has remained in the embassy because he is still subject to arrest in Britain for jumping bail. react-empty 163 He also fears a possible U.S. extradition request based on his leaking of classified State Department documents. The new citizenship status, however, appears to change little for Assange in the immediate future. The Australian-born Assange posted a photograph of himself wearing a yellow Ecuadorean national soccer team jersey on Instagram Wednesday and his name now appears in the Andean country's national registry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

store workers: Within 20 minutes, they verified that the cashier had a valid green card and served notice on the owner to produce hiring records in three days that deal with employees' immigration status, according to CTV. The well-rehearsed scene, executed with quiet efficiency in Los Angeles' Koreatown, played out at about 100 7-Eleven stores in 17 states and the District of Columbia, a rolling operation that officials called the largest immigration action against an employer under Donald Trump's presidency. A federal inspection was underway, they said. The employment audits and interviews with store workers could lead to criminal charges or fines. A top official at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the audits were the first of many and a harbinger of what's to come for employers. And they appeared to open a new front in Trump's expansion of immigration enforcement, which has already brought a 40 per cent increase in deportation arrests and pledges to spend billions of dollars on a border wall with Mexico. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: More than 30 billion has been spent from Turkey's own budget, according to Toronto Star. Furthermore, Syrian refugees are provided free health care, public education, legal work permits and social benefits. Turkey hosts more than 3.4 million Syrian refugees as of Jan. 4, 230,000 of who stay in 21 camps. During the past six years, more than 276,000 Syrian babies were born in Turkey. Article Continued Below Currently, more than 620,000 of the 976,000 school-aged Syrian children in Turkey are enrolled in public schools. More than 32 million were treated at health centres and hospitals and more than one million medical procedures have been performed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway, whose prime minister he met with on Wednesday, according to Toronto Star. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because they help the United States economically. Why are we having all these people from s---hole countries come here Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the lawmakers. In addition, the president singled out Haiti, telling lawmakers that immigrants from that country must be left out of any deal, these people said. Take them out. Why do we need more Haitians Trump said, according to people familiar with the meeting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zbigniew malysa: He said he spoke to a resident, who spoke to him in English, according to CTV. When the doctor, Luc Valiquette, entered the room, Malysa said things changed. Zbigniew Malysa said he was referred by his general practitioner to an urologist at the CHUM superhospital facility for tests. Valiquette began speaking to some of the residents, reviewing some of Malysa's records. He ripped up the appointment slip for the next appointment put it in the garbage and started arguing with the residents . They didn't say any words, he just said, Do you know what this means How expensive this is ' Malysa said Valiquette was speaking in French during the outburst, and he eventually began questioning Malysa about his origins. He started to be furious, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

u.s: We are American' Alberta-born 'Dreamer' will fight deportation in U.S. Actor and DACA recipient Bambadjan Bamba sheds light on America's broken immigration system Alsup said lawyers in favour of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm without court action, according to CBC. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court. DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. Trump went to Twitter on Wednesday morning to comment on the decision, saying the court system is broken and unfair. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border wall: Democrats want urgent action to stave off deportation of some 800,000 immigrants currently protected by an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Trump still wants his border wall, though he's toned down what that means, according to The Chronicle Herald. Conservatives are watching with a wary eye, fearing he will strike a soft compromise that could infuriate their and his political base heading into this year's elections. They're under pressure to find a breakthrough before a deadline next week that could lead to a government shutdown neither side wants. The No. 2 lawmakers of each of Capitol Hill's quadrants of power Republicans and Democrats in both House and Senate touched gloves Wednesday afternoon, deputized for action at what appears to be a moment of genuine opportunity to break Washington gridlock. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chairman of the stoutly conservative House Freedom Caucus. Everybody wants to find a deal there, myself included, said Republican Rep. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

business costs: Flawed analysis In Ontario, KOW released a flawed analysis which claimed that the increases would lead to 23 billion in new business costs, place 185,000 jobs at risk, and cost each Ontario household 1,300 a year, according to Rabble. The latter figure turned out to be a basic calculating error which would have been caught by most high school students. Alberta will increase its wage to 15 in October 2018, and there have been similar predictions of doom there. Beyond that, the study used a proprietary economic model which lacked transparency and could not be peer reviewed. The KOW document focused almost entirely on the costs to business while ignoring the beneficial effects of raising the incomes of 1.5 million Ontario workers, a number equivalent to 25 to 30 per cent of the workforce. In other words, they threw out numbers but did not back them up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

college-age students.u.s: The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial, according to Metro News. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Wednesday that the ruling was outrageous, especially in light of the President's successful bipartisan meeting with House and Senate members at the White House on the same day. Alsup said lawyers in favour of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm without court action. Sanders said the issue should go through the normal legislative process and pledged Trump will work with members of both parties to reach a permanent solution. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his authority when he implemented it in 2012. DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation arrests: The audits could lead to criminal charges or fines over the stores' hiring practices, according to CBC. Twenty-one people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were arrested. Agents targeted about 100 stores nationwide, broadening an investigation that began four years ago with a case against a franchisee on New York's Long Island. The action appears to open a new front in Trump's expansion of immigration enforcement, which has already brought a 40 per cent increase in deportation arrests. This is what we're gearing up for this year and what you're going to see more and more of is these large-scale compliance inspections, just for starters, said Benner, acting head of ICE's homeland security investigations, which oversees cases against employers. Trump suggests 2-phase immigration deal for 'Dreamers' Trump calls ruling to delay action on young immigrant program 'unfair' Derek Benner, a top official at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Wednesday's operation was the first of many and a harbinger of what's to come for employers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation hearing: His case has become a rallying point for advocates of immigration reform, with calls to halt his deportation hearing and a protest planned Tuesday night outside a Halifax-area town hall being held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to CTV. Abdi, facing ejection because of a criminal record including an aggravated assault conviction, has spent his life in Canada, but never obtained citizenship after he was apprehended as a child by the Nova Scotia government and put into foster care. At 24, he's now facing deportation to Somalia -- a country so dangerous Canada has imposed sweeping travel restrictions and which he has no connection to. This is really a story about a child falling through a massive legal gap that prevented him from applying for citizenship on his own and a policy gap that created a situation where his legal guardian did not apply for citizenship, said Benjamin Perryman, Abdi's Halifax-based lawyer. Between the ages of eight and 19, Abdi was moved 31 times, separated from his sister and never completed high school. The boy and his sister were taken from his struggling aunt, who spoke little English, less than a year after arriving in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant patients: But more programs will be offered in the coming months to deal with the use of opioids such as heroin, oxycodone and Percocet, said Dr, according to CTV. Rupinder Brar, an addiction specialist who works at the facility. The Roshni Clinic opened last spring in Surrey to provide services for South Asian clients addicted to alcohol and stimulants including amphetamine and cocaine. Thirty per cent of the population in Surrey is Punjabi speaking, she said. However, she said immigrant patients urgently need treatment and counselling from health-care providers who speak Punjabi or Hindi, and that's what Roshni - which means light - will offer them. There are physicians out there who've been there for a while providing services, and I'm sure these patients bring their friend or a doctor may have a translator but it would be nice to expand those services in a way that is culturally sensitive and provide therapy to the family as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration enforcement: The audits could lead to criminal charges or fines over the stores' hiring practices, according to Toronto Star. The action appears to open a new front in Trump's sharp expansion of immigration enforcement, which has already brought a 40-per-cent increase in deportation arrests and plans to spend billions of dollars on a border wall with Mexico. Agents targeted about 100 stores nationwide, broadening an investigation that began with a four-year-old case against a franchisee on New York's Long Island. Hardliners have been pressing for a tougher stance on employers. He said there would be more employment audits and investigations, though there is no numerical goal. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump Derek Benner, a top official at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Associated Press that Wednesday's operation was the first of many and a harbinger of what's to come for employers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova scotia: Abdi spent much of his childhood in the care of the province and shuffled between 31 foster homes, according to his lawyer Benjamin Perryman, and Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services never applied for him to become a Canadian citizen, according to CBC. Abdoul Abdi came to Canada as a refugee from Somalia in 2000. Abdi is a 23-year-old former child refugee who came to Nova Scotia at the age of six, along with his aunts and sister, and is now facing deportation to his native Somalia due to a criminal record and a lack of Canadian citizenship. Submitted by Benjamin Perryman Abdi was recently released from prison after serving time on charges that include aggravated assault. There will be a complete review of not only this case, but any cases that would require the kind of support that I'm hearing about with this particular gentleman, said McNeil, who didn't specify what exactly the review would do. He is currently being detained on immigration grounds by the Canada Border Services Agency and could be deported despite having no remaining ties to war-torn Somalia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officers: That's part of a final settlement the city reached Tuesday in federal court with the ACLU of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, according to Metro News. The case stems from a 2014 traffic accident when the vehicle of Gabriel Gomez was struck by a minivan that failed to yield the right of way.A Spokane police officer responded and contacted the U.S. Border Patrol to ask whether the agency had any interest in Gomez. The city of Spokane, Washington, has agreed to change its policies to make clear that police officers will not question or detain people to enforce federal immigration laws. The officer issued a ticket to the other driver and then let that driver leave the scene. I have lived in this community for many years, and to suddenly have the police turn against me after being a victim in the accident really turned my life upside down, Gomez said in a press release. However, the officer detained Gomez until the Border Patrol arrived and took him into custody. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sign rohingya: A statement on the military commander-in-chief's Facebook page said the Rohingya found in the mass grave had threatened Buddhist villagers and were killed in retaliation, according to Toronto Star. Read more Burma couple risks lives for love amid Rohingya crisis Article Continued Below No sign Rohingya will be allowed to return home What have they done to us ' Survivors recount brutal massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Burmese village The UN and other groups accuse the military of widespread atrocities against Rohingya, including killings, rapes and the burning of homes. The public admission of wrongdoing is the military's first since it launched clearance operations against ethnic Rohingya in August, prompting more than 650,000 to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh in what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. But the military has insisted that there has been no wrongdoing by any security forces. react-empty 160 The government of Buddhist-majority Burma has refused to accept Rohingya Muslims as a minority group, even though they have lived in the country for generations. Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, denying them almost all rights and rendering them stateless. They are widely called Bengalis and are accused of migrating illegally from Bangladesh. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.