bangladesh: When they crossed into Bangladesh, they were met with sprawling, squalid camps, dotted with thousands of temporary tents and plagued by disease, according to Toronto Star. Five months after the violence began, Burma and Bangladesh were on the brink of repatriating up to 1,500 Rohingya last week, with plans to return all eligible refugees over two years, under an agreement widely criticized by the United Nations and aid groups, which warn that it could thrust the refugees back into danger in the nation also known as Myanmar. Violence drove them from their homes, and hundreds of their villages were burned or razed. Read more Not safe yet for Rohingya to return to Burma, UN official says Article Continued Below Former U.S. governor quits Rohingya panel, calling it a cheerleading operation' for Burmese leader Skepticism, worry amid preparation for Rohingya repatriation to Burma The deal, which was brokered without the involvement of the international community, does not address issues that Rohingya refugees and aid groups say are key safety, citizenship and sustainable housing. Bangladeshi authorities delayed the planned start of the returns last week, and it remains unclear when they will begin. Without those guarantees, many refugees are unlikely to repatriate voluntarily, experts say, potentially prolonging what UN officials have referred to as the most urgent refugee emergency in the world. react-empty 163 As of today, the necessary safeguards for potential returnees are absent, and there are continued restrictions on access for aid agencies, the media and other independent observers, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said in a briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Jan. 23. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian council: The constant worry about family members left behind, often in vulnerable and perilous conditions, is a major stressor, according to Toronto Star. The Canadian Council for Refugees estimates that it takes an average of 38 months for refugees to bring their partners and children to Canada that's 38 months after formal acceptance as a refugee. Another extremely negative consequence of these delays, which can stretch from months to years, is the extra time it adds to Canada's incredibly slow process of reuniting families. It's easy to imagine the pain this kind of extended separation brings. Wendell Block, Toronto Article Continued Below Do you want to help shapethe Toronto Star's future Join our team of readers who are passionate about journalism and share your views. Our refugee hearing system must provide adequate time and legal mechanisms to come to fair, correct decisions; but it must also be fast enough to allow refugees and their families to come together as quickly as possible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

carlyn moulton: Sponsor Land follows the day to day lives of a Syrian refugee family brought to Canada in the fall of 2015 by PEC Syria, a private sponsor group in Prince Edward County, according to Rabble. It's a thoughtful, intimate take on the dynamic between newcomers to Canada and their sponsors who commit money, emotional and sweat equity to support resettlement and the family who while grateful, wonder what they have to sacrifice to fit in. They've gone from total strangers to instant family with a sponsorship group headed by Carlyn Moulton and her merry band of well-intentioned do-gooders. Biography With two films on the Oscar shortlist -- Genius Within The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Promise to The Dead The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, Emmy-nominated Promise to The Dead The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman and Gemini-winning Genius Within, Mich le Hozer has been working as a filmmaker and editor in Canada since 1987. In 2015 Michele completed Sugar Coated, her first solo feature length documentary as director, editor, and producer. To date, she has worked on more than 50 documentaries that have received accolades from the world's most prestigious film festivals, including the Sundance Film festival Shake Hands with the Devil The Journey of Romeo Dallaire and IDFA West Wind The Vision of Tom Thompson in Amsterdam. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chance encounter: It was very cold, Jabr, 22, recalled of that chance encounter two years ago in the middle of winter, according to CBC. The man, who Jabr figures was in his 50s, walked him the whole way to his destination, pointing out places of interest as they went. John's when he randomly asked a man for directions to get downtown, a 20 minute walk away. I told him it was my first day in the city and he was just super friendly. Populist politics At a time in world history marked by a global trend towards slamming doors on immigration in the face of mounting economic insecurity, new polling by The Canadian Press/Ekos Politics suggests St. I think it's one of those things I'll never forget. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

decision: It's extreme, according to Metro News. It's recurring. In this country, in over 230 years, this is not ordinary, Garaufis said during the hearing. It's vicious. The plaintiffs say the decision to end the program was motivated by racial animus against Latinos and is not based on any rational justification. Garaufis is hearing lawsuits seeking to overturn the administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration status: The semitrailer stopped in the checkpoint's primary lane where the driver, a U.S. citizen, was questioned about his immigration status, according to Metro News. His rig was kept for further inspection, and agents found the immigrants inside the trailer. The U.S. Border Patrol said in a statement Monday that the immigrants were discovered Friday at a checkpoint on U.S. 83, about 35 miles 56 kilometres north of Laredo in South Texas. The immigrants are from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The Border Patrol says all of them are in good health.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nina Pruneda says the driver's identity and other details about the case are being withheld at this time. Thirteen were unaccompanied minors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hurricane relief: At risk are up to 80 billion in increases for the Pentagon this year alone, and nearly as much money for domestic programs, according to Metro News. Almost 100 billion worth of overdue assistance for hurricane-slammed Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida is being held up. The deadlock is deflating hopes that lawmakers will reach a breakthrough before another shutdown deadline next week. The knot involves about 1.2 billion in agency operating budgets for the fiscal year that began in October, along with hurricane relief, President Donald Trump's 18 billion-plus border wall, and other odds and ends. It takes both Republicans and Democrats to lift the limits, called spending caps in Capitol-speak. The measure has been hung up for months as lawmakers in both parties struggle first with a deal to increase tight limits on spending that are left over from a failed 2011 budget agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration agreement: But his comments on the Senate floor came four days after Rep, according to The Chronicle Herald. Nancy Pelosi said the immigration plan that President Donald Trump released last week was part of his unmistakable campaign to make America white again. McConnell, R-Ky., didn't specify to what he was referring. McConnell's remarks and a sharp retort by the spokesman for the House minority leader came as bargainers made no apparent progress toward crafting a bipartisan immigration agreement. Democrats have criticized Trump's package for including steps that would limit legal immigration and strengthen federal efforts to find and eject immigrants in the U.S. illegally. They're seeking an accord that would shield from deportation hundreds of thousands of young people in the U.S. illegally after arriving as children, protections that Trump has ended, plus boost border security and possibly impose other restrictions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

march deadline: Many older members of the group, nicknamed Dreamers, balance college classes and jobs amid a looming March 5 deadline set by Trump to repeal the program unless Congress preserves it, according to CBC. I knew DACA was going to be rescinded, or at least I thought it was, the day he won the election, said Javier Hernandez Kistte, 27, referring to Trump's anti-immigration stance during the 2016 presidential campaign. Meet five of those people covered by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA program. Kistte arrived in the country with his family from Mexico City when he was eight years old. Supporters of the DACA program say eliminating it would punish people who were too young to know the consequences of their family's decision to move to the U.S. and remove productive people from the economy. Trump plan offers citizenship path to 1.8 million immigrants U.S. Democrats withdraw 25B offer to fund Trump's border wall Trump wants tighter restrictions on immigration that he deems necessary to improve national security and protect the jobs of working class Americans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

page ruling: The judge's 600-page ruling in the case was posted online earlier this month, according to CTV. That was really pushing the edge, Lesperance told CTV's Your Morning on Monday. Lesperance cites one recent judge's decision from a lawsuit in which the judge said Chinese millionaire Guoqing Fu bought multiple multi-million-dollar homes in Canada while claiming just 97 in worldwide income on his taxes. He says the situation would have gone unnoticed if Fu's family and his partners, the Xia family, had not turned on each other and exposed their activities in court. The judge's ruling from the case indicates Fu had a large and successful business in China, yet he only claimed a miniscule worldwide income of 97.11 on his Canadian income tax return, despite spending millions on three different homes. These were two parties...who fell out and decided to sue each other in civil court, Lesperance said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kim: But as one of my favourite TV characters, Mr, according to Toronto Star. Kim of Kim's Convenience, discovers week by week, it does not actually work that way. Canada does promote itself as a multicultural society, and new immigrants might easily be forgiven for assuming that they are free to continue their cultural beliefs and practices here. The lie of multiculturalism that Chauhan referred to becomes apparent once we realize that how Canada promotes itself as multicultural and how Canadians behave toward multiculturalism in real life do not always match up. In public and in most workplaces we don't say this because we are too nice, but we actually mean it it is better to speak an official language well, learn to skate and know how to bake a half-decent butter tart. When I look around, it seems that most Canadians consider that you are free to continue your particular cultural beliefs and practices but primarily just in your own homes and your own communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

museum staff: But thanks to a global revival of interest in the scientist, the collection is now drawing big crowds from home and abroad, according to CTV. Museum staff say some 130,000 people visited last year, compared to about 30,000 a year in the past -- when its audience included generations of local school children but hardly anyone from abroad. The Serbian museum, dedicated to everything to do with the 19th-century inventor and electricity pioneer, remained in relative obscurity for decades under the communist-run former Yugoslavia. Now the small museum is ranked among the top must-see destination for tourists. He experimented with X-ray and radio technology, working in rivalry with Thomas Edison. Tesla is best known for developing the alternating current that helped safely distribute electricity at great distances, including from the hydro-electric plant at the Niagara Falls in mid-1890s. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ravi ragbir: We know that this is psychological warfare they're instituting against the community so that people will believe there is no hope, according to The Chronicle Herald. Ragbir, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago who leads the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, a coalition of 150 faith-based pro-immigrant groups, was among a number of activists who have been detained in recent weeks as President Donald Trump's administration has stepped up efforts to deport people with criminal records. When you look at who they're taking away, it is evident that activists and leaders are being picked up, Ravi Ragbir told The Associated Press. Ragbir was in Washington with his wife on Tuesday to attend Trump's State of the Union address, both as guests of lawmakers. He said the president's speech was filled with cruel, empty, hollow words. He said afterward that it was difficult to see the reaction from people in the room who totally bought into what he was saying. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

videos show: Each video includes a pitch by the local mayor or a well known member of the community, according to CBC. Businessman Peter Llewellyn, who is featured in the Georgetown video, said it's important to showcase what each community has to offer. The videos show off fishing communities, parks, shopping areas, businesses and schools. We're not doing enough marketing' So many people come here and discover Georgetown, he said. People are surprised, which shows me we're not doing enough marketing. They're discovering we have more jobs here than men, women and children, plus we have a college here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jan: Vancouver School Board trustees voted 5-3 against a motion to change its name at the Jan. 29 board meeting.article continues below Trending Stories Shark found on South Delta beach PHOTOS Strong reactions to BC Liberals leader candidate's ad aimed at Chinese voters Two women sue over photos taken secretly in Red Barn Market store's washroom Vancouver police increase presence in the Downtown school naming saga continues Monday evening Things are looking up for new Crosstown elementary Green Party trustees Janet Fraser, Judy Zaichkowsky and Estrellita Gonzalez, along with NPAers Lisa Dominato and Fraser Ballantyne, voted against the motion, according to Vancouver Courier. First brought forward by Vision trustee Allan Wong, the motion sought to change the school's name to Alexander Won Cumyow elementary school. Crosstown elementary school will remain Crosstown elementary. Cumyow was a Chinese-Canadian activist, court interpreter and legal advisor from the late 1800s and up until his death 1955. Wong's motion was supported Monday by One City trustee Carrie Bercic and fellow Vision trustee Joy Alexander. None of Vancouver's more than 110 schools reflect Asian-Canadians in name. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

evening prayers: They were men who came together to pray, to celebrate peace, according to National Observer. Let's not forget it. ; His father, Khaled Belkacemi, was one of six men who died when a gunman fired into the Islamic cultural centre during evening prayers. These men who fell last Jan. 29, my father among others, were good and loving men, pillars in their communities, he told the crowd on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard were among the large number of people who gathered near the mosque to mark the anniversary of the tragedy. Those men were Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, Belkacemi, 60, Aboubaker Thabti, 44, Azzeddine Soufiane, 57, and Ibrahima Barry, 39. The vigil began with the reading of the victims' names and the number of children they had. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country stars: Kendrick Lamar opened the show with a gun-rattling performance while country stars mourned victims of the country's largest mass shooting, according to The Chronicle Herald. These are the top moments of Sunday's Grammy Awards FIRE AND FURY The Grammy Awards didn't hold back in a pre-recorded skit aimed at President Trump, which featured a surprise appearance by Hillary Clinton and others reading embarrassing passages from the Trump tell-all Fire And Fury. Artists arrived on the red carpet with white roses to show support for female equality, but others skewered Trump or criticized his administration's treatment of immigrants with the Statue of Liberty serving as a backdrop. The skit featured musicians such as John Legend, Cher, Snoop Dogg and DJ Khaled reading portions of the book as an audition for the audio book. Predictably it was a hot topic on Twitter soon after, prompting United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to post that the segment was trash. Rapper Cardi B added her own opinion after reading about Trump's regular routines, saying This is how he lives his life But it was Clinton's appearance that gathered the loudest applause from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dhs officials: Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said during a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center Monday that the changes were aimed at better protecting the country against terrorism, crime and fraud, according to Metro News. President Donald Trump has worked to restrict the number of refugees allowed into the country, including signing a four-month ban on refugees last year. But DHS officials say they are working to implement new screening measures for applicants from those high-risk countries following a 90-day review. The administration won't publicly confirm the 11 countries. But officials say they intend to review the list and update it six months from now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jury selection: Colten Boushie was 22 when an SUV that he was a passenger in drove onto a farm near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016, according to Toronto Star. An altercation ensued and Boushie, from the Red Pheasant First Nation, was shot and killed. Stanley, 56, was formally arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder and pleaded not guilty before jury selection began. In the end, seven women and five men were chosen for the three-week trial as well as two alternates. It was really difficult to sit there today and watch every single, visible Indigenous person be challenged by the defence. Article Continued Below During the selection process, a number of both middle-aged white men and visible minorities were rejected. react-text 155 Gerald Stanley has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail. /react-text Liam Richards / THE CANADIAN PRESS A lot of my family didn't come today because they already felt that a decision had been made and I came with hopes that it would be different, said Jade Tootoosis, who is Boushie's cousin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lawmakers plan: Allegations of sexual harassment have had a big impact on Capitol Hill in recent months, forcing resignations and retirements on both sides of the political aisle as well as ongoing Ethics Committee investigations, according to CTV. Wearing black to SOTU isn't about Trump, tweeted Rep. Here's a look at some of the ways lawmakers are using the speech to make a point ------ METOO Many female Democratic lawmakers plan to follow the lead of celebrities at this year's Golden Globe Awards by wearing black to the State of the Union. Lois Frankel, D-Fla. Some lawmakers are also bringing attention to the issue through the guest they have invited to the State of the Union. It's about showing solidarity with a movement- from hotels to farm fields, to Congress, we're standing with workers to end sexual harassment in all workplaces. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news agency: Zen confirmed reports by the Asia News missionary news agency that the Vatican had asked Shantou Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian, 88, to step down in favour of Bishop Joseph Huang Bingzhang, according to CTV. Huang was excommunicated by the Vatican in 2011 after he was consecrated without papal approval. Cardinal Joseph Zen, the most vocal opponent of Pope Francis' opening to China, bitterly criticized the proposed changing of the guard in Shantou diocese and revealed in a Facebook post Monday that he had travelled to the Vatican earlier this month to personally raise it with the pope. Zen said that he was exposing the confidential information -- including the contents of his Jan. 14 audience with Francis -- so that the Chinese faithful may know the truth to which they are entitled. The issue of bishop nominations is the key stumbling block in Vatican-Chinese relations that were officially severed when Beijing ordered Chinese Catholics to cut ties with the Holy See soon after the foundation of the Communist state in 1949. My conscience tells me that in this case, the right to truth should override any such duty of confidentiality, he wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

universite laval: They originally came from Morocco, Algeria and Guinea, according to Toronto Star. They were fathers, sons, husbands, brothers and respected members of the local Muslim community. This was the day when six Muslim men were shot dead after evening prayers in a Quebec City mosque.A local halal grocery store owner, a professor at Universite Laval, three civil servants and a pharmacy worker were brutally slain that night. Remember their names Ibrahima Barry aged 39 Mamadou Tanou Barry aged 42 Khaled Belkacemi aged 60 Aboubaker Thabti aged 44 Abdelkrim Hassane aged 41 and Azzedine Soufiane aged 57 . One year later, it is time to pause and reflect on some of the lessons we must learn from this tragedy. Legal experts have said sections of the Criminal Code dealing with terrorism are aimed at those who commit the crime in collaboration with a terrorist group, meaning it's difficult to prosecute a lone gunman. Lesson 1 The alibi of white exceptionalism Article Continued Below While condemned as a terrorist attack by many, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the accused shooter, Alexandre Bissonnette, a 26-year-old student from Universite Laval, faces first-degree murder charges but has not been charged with any terrorism crimes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

process right: The plaintiffs said many of the thousands of children the government seeks to deport each year appear before judges without a lawyer because they can't afford one or find one to take their cases for free, according to Metro News. The result is an unfair process that pits children with no ability to navigate complex legal issues against seasoned government attorneys, the groups say. The judges rejected a claim by the American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant groups that children have a constitutional due process right to a free attorney.A system already exists to give the children a fair hearing, and requiring the government to provide free attorneys would be an expense that would strain an already overextended immigration system, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said. Ahilan Arulanantham, legal director at the ACLU of Southern California, said the group had not decided its next step. The 9th Circuit considered a case filed by a 13-year-old boy identified only as C.J. who fled Honduras with his mother after facing death threats, including a gun to his head, when he refused to join a gang. The statistical evidence, which the court acknowledged, is that children are many, many times more likely to win their cases if they have legal representation, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

talent show: He stepped down from his role in October, according to CBC. Gilbert Rozon steps down after misconduct allegations surface on social media But it seems organizers are determined to put together an all-star lineup and dispel rumours about the festival's uncertain future. It's been a difficult couple of months for the festival, ever since sexual misconduct allegations came to light concerning founder and then-president Gilbert Rozon. This news comes not long after the festival announced that another huge name would perform for free at Place des Festivals The Beach Boys. They also announced that Mado Lamotte will be back for a fifth edition of her Mado's got talent show, featuring drag-queens, circus artists and comedians. The Beach Boys will play a free, outdoor show in downtown Montreal in July. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

team name: Bringing an MLS club to Miami, Beckham said, has been a hell of a journey, according to CTV. The journey is now complete, in some respects Beckham has his team, and Miami is back in Major League Soccer. Fitting, since nothing in his quest went as planned. Beckham and MLS announced Monday that the long-awaited franchise is now born. The biggest hurdle, it seems, has now been cleared. It took Beckham nearly four years just to get this far with Miami, and there are a slew of details still to come -- such as the team name, logo, when it will start play and when the stadium will open. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

watson: I truly don't believe I deserve prison at all, Mohamud said in the Dec. 12 letter, filed in the official court record on Thursday, according to The Chronicle Herald. He added So if the concern is risk assessment then deportation would set everyone's hearts at ease. Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud told federal Judge Michael Watson that he didn't want to leave his family but called his proposal completely fair and just. Mohamud, who was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. at 2 years old, may eventually get his wish. At sentencing on Jan. 22, Mohamud told Watson that he knew what he'd done was wrong and that he'd fallen into the trap of radicalization while abroad. After Mohamud was sentenced to 22 years in prison last week, the local Homeland Security Investigations office said it would seek to strip him of his citizenship and deport him to Somalia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.