trade missions: That is 3.6 per cent of the population, according to National Observer. India is also Canada's second largest source of immigrants, approximately 40,000 in 2016. ; In fairness to Trudeau, he is not the first Canadian politician to be tempted by the lure of Indo-Canadian votes. More than a million Canadians are of Indian heritage. Previous and current prime ministers, provincial premiers and political party leaders have beaten the path to India for the same reason, often under the guise of trade missions. Trudeau's predecessor, Stephen Harper, tried and failed to negotiate a Canada-India free trade agreement. However, Canada-India trade of 7 billion is miniscule - worth only one week of Canada's trade with the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

androgynous models: They make eye-catching additions to the perfectly honed or androgynous models that typically feature at fashion's annual showcase in London, according to CTV. It's celebrating diversity really and it's bringing a bit more light to fashion instead of just using the bog-standard models, agency owner Marc French told AFP. He describes it as a character model agency -- from fat, thin, to large to small you name it, we've got it . He cited the example of French actor Gerard Depardieu. Fashion Week opens in the British capital Friday, and among the legions of models strutting down the catwalk, several will come from Ugly. I mean look at him he's so full of character and charisma. Imperfection is beauty' Founded a half century ago, Ugly occupies trendy open-plan space in west London featuring a baroque sofa, brushed aluminium computers and walls studded with photos of models. He becomes sexy because he's so cool and he's so different. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appeals: In a 9-4 vote, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said it examined statements made by Trump and other administration officials, as well as the presidential proclamation imposing the ban, and concluded that it second-guesses our nation's dedication to religious freedom and tolerance, according to Toronto Star. The 4th Circuit is the second federal appeals court to rule against the ban. U.S. President Donald Trump's latest travel ban on travellers from six largely Muslim countries is unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, delivering another blow to the policy. In December, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Trump exceeded the scope of his authority with the latest ban. In December, the high court said the ban could be fully enforced while appeals made their way through the courts. The 4th Circuit court upheld a ruling by a federal judge in Maryland who issued an injunction barring enforcement of the ban against people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen who have bona fide relationships with people in the U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court has already agreed to hear the travel ban case in April. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border wall: Also defeated was a plan by a bipartisan group of senators who offered a compromise that would have shielded the young immigrants and financed Trump's demands for money to build his coveted border wall with Mexico, though more gradually than he wants, according to Toronto Star. Eight Republicans joined most Democrats in backing that plan, but it fell short after the White House threatened a veto and GOP leaders opposed it. Senators dealt U.S. President Donald Trump an especially galling defeat as more than a quarter of fellow Republicans abandoned him on an issue that helped propel him to the White House. The day's votes, in which four separate proposals were defeated, illustrated anew Congress' steep challenge in striking a deal on an issue that's proven intractable for years and on which each party's most fervent supporters refuse to budge. Read more Trump says last chance' for Democrats, Republicans to make deal for Dreamers' Article Continued Below With U.S. budget deal all sides claim big wins, but next fight over immigration looks tougherU.S. Senate agrees to budget deal with money for defence and infrastructure, but no plan for Dreamers'The Senate votes left the young immigrants facing a March 5 deadline that Trump has given Congress for restoring the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, that he annulled last year. The outcome suggested there may be no permanent solution soon to help the Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. as children, despite their sky-high support in public polling. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

korean table: Dre and Roger Troutman . Up at the mountain venues, it's little more high-charged with Linkin Park, Jay-Z and Audioslave, according to CTV. But like the kimchi side dish that shows up on almost every Korean table, these Winter Games come with a musical kick -- K-pop. Fans are tapping their feet -- sometimes just to keep warm -- to Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long, Village People's YMCA, Blur's Song 2, Los del Rio's Macarena and California Love by 2Pac featuring Dr. And that includes far more than Psy's 2012 mega-hit Gangnam Style, which held the record for You Tube's most watched clip for five years. And the Korean pop menu is vast. Everywhere you turn in South Korea, there is musical accompaniment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

casey: Casey met Paz six years ago in Singapore, and the couple were married in the Philippines in May, according to CBC. He said they've now spent a year gathering most of the necessary paperwork and he expects they will wait up to a second year for the documents to work their way through the system at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Sean Casey fights his own battle to bring home his new wife, Mika Paz, who lives in Manila. Being apart has been difficult, said Casey, who last saw Paz in November and isn't sure when he will see her next. She wants to come, she's excited to come, he said. Couldn't get tourist visa An earlier application by Paz to visit on a six-month tourist visa was rejected. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration laws: The agency says 88 per cent of those arrested are convicted criminals, according to Metro News. The raids triggered a protest late Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, where a Homeland Security van was blocked from entering the federal Metropolitan Detention Center. Agents also served 122 notices to businesses that they will be audited to determine whether they are employing people who are in the country illegally. Police were called and a dispersal order was given, but there were no arrests. 7 19 a.m. The Los Angeles Times reports that police were called and a dispersal order was issued, but no one was arrested. Stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws at Southern California businesses triggered a protest in downtown Los Angeles.A group of immigrant rights advocates chanting stop the deportations and other slogans blocked a Homeland Security van from entering the federal Metropolitan Detention Center late Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

issue: She said the issue has been on the government's radar since 2016, yet the discriminatory policy that causes heartache and hardship remains, according to CBC. Still there's no action, Kwan said. NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan held a news conference today calling on the government to repeal a section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that allows applicants to be rejected because they could impose an excessive demand on the health care system. Liberals to scrap policy that rejects disabled immigrants'An issue that pulls at the heartstrings' The House of Commons studied the issue last fall, when Hussen told the immigration committee the government was committed to ditching the 40-year-old policy. Today, Hussen said the government is working on a response and will present its plan by April 12. He said at the time it does not align with our country's values of inclusion of person with disabilities in Canadian society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law enforcement: Weeks later, ICE ordered her to appear before an immigration judge, even though she said she had not had any contact with law enforcement that might have prompted deportation, according to Metro News. The Seattle Times last month reported that the Department of Licensing had shared information with immigration authorities despite promises by Democratic Gov. An email obtained by The Associated Press under a public records request shows the state agency sent ICE a copy of the driver's license and license application for activist Maru Mora-Villalpando on Dec. 7. Jay Inslee that state officials would not enforce immigration laws. Activists have said the department's director, Pat Kohler, should also step down. Inslee ordered the practice halted immediately and the deputy director of the department resigned. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mark meadows: Compounding those divisions are pressures from some of the House's most conservative members, who are casting the effort as a pivotal test for Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis, according to Metro News. It is a, the, defining moment for this speaker, said Rep. Republican leaders there are scrambling to find enough GOP votes to pass a measure that's even more restrictive than a proposal by President Donald Trump that flopped spectacularly in the Senate on Thursday. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. who leads the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, which helped force former Speaker John Boehner from his job in 2015. Ryan aides did not respond to a request for comment on Meadows' remark. If he gets it wrong, it will have consequences for him but it will also have consequences for the rest of the Republican Party. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

myanmar: He did not explain how the names had been chosen, according to CTV. About 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled army-led violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar since last August and are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said Friday the list contained the members of 1,673 Rohingya families. The two countries originally agreed to begin the repatriations last month, but they were delayed by concerns among aid workers and Rohingya that they would be forced to return and face unsafe conditions in Myanmar. U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council on Tuesday that conditions aren't right for Rohingya to voluntarily return because Myanmar hasn't addressed their exclusion and denial of rights. Hundreds of Rohingya were reportedly killed in the violence, and many houses and villages burned to the ground. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ndp: In the 1970s the divisive issue was Canada's independence from its domineering U.S. neighbour, according to Rabble. Wafflers, led by economists Mel Watkins and Jim Laxer, wanted to turn the NDP into a truly socialist party . The Waffle called for an end to domination of Canada by the American empire -- not through homegrown capitalism but via national planning of investment and public ownership of the means of production. That was when the socialist and Canadian-nationalist Waffle wing formed what was almost a party within the party. The NDP establishment eventually kicked out the Wafflers. Many Waffle leaders later returned to the NDP and became leading forces in the party. After trying, with limited success, to form a new party, the Waffle movement disbanded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

service work: At a meeting Jan. 18, past and present public servants said they suffered racial harassment and faced reprisal when making complaints, according to Toronto Star. Read more Black job seekers have harder time finding retail and service work than their white counterparts, study suggests Article Continued Below Opinion Gooch How to support celebrating Canada's Black heritage and challenge racism Coteau heard stories from Black employees who said their roles were steadily diminished despite years of positive reviews. The announcement came a day after more than 20 Black employees, mostly women, brought their concerns directly to Michael Coteau, Ontario's minister of children and youth services, who is also in charge of the province's anti-racism initiatives. Others had trained new staff, only to see those new employees be given higher, more lucrative positions. A majority of the participants said they had been suspended, demoted or fired while the staffers they had complained about faced no repercussions. Some said their complaints about racial discrimination were mishandled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

veteran literata: For the coming week, in her star-turn monologue Broken Tailbone, veteran literata, feminista and leftist Passionaria Carmen Aguirre dishes out her own patent mixture of Pico de Gallo, according to Vancouver Observer. It's very hot and very Red. Likewise with the dance floor variety of salsa. And she invites you to mix your own salsa along with her, right down on the stage floor, while she presides as a sort of dancing coach from a dais erected atop the plush, red-flock audience seating of The Cultch's Traditional Theatre. Aguirre sets herself up as an irresistible, incontrovertible Jefa feminine for Boss who reinforces her directives with a background discourse on the etiology and symbolism of every dance step. It's a far cry from your usual Rec Centre salsa class. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

budget cycle: The proposed budget is nearly 13 million more than had been approved in principle by council last year as part of the two-year budget cycle, according to The Chronicle Herald. Really, the major cost is the increase in the operation cost, said Stuebing, who took over the department in September. Part of the good news was that council voted to accept the proposed 2018-19 budget that included 68 million in wages and benefits. It's overtime, staff replacing those who are training. The recruiting, hiring and training drive has been precipitated by a recommendation that each fire truck should have four firefighters on board, and by a recent spate of retirements. The department has hired 40 career firefighters to help staff its 51 fire stations that protect more than 400,000 people in a 5,577-square-kilometre area. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i side: Uploaded in April 2017, the episode detailing Canada's geography currently boasts 1.4 million views with 26,000 likes and 1,000 dislikes, according to Rabble. After watching the video several times, I have to say I side with the dislikes and for some very good reasons. Through its main series and namesake, it covers the geography, history, politics, culture and diplomacy of a sovereign country per episode, through the alphabetical list of United Nations members. Aimed at high school aged viewers, the host uses misogynous and outright racist material to inject 'humour' into this 13-minute video meant to educate viewers on the geography of Canada. While attempting to explain the difference between Americans and Canadians, Barby describes Americans as the quintessential teenage boy, namely energetic, opinionated, and confident. Instead, it insults and degrades women, Indigenous communities, and a wide variety of racial and ethnic groups. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizenship: Accepting the federal position would result in uncertainty about an individual's fundamental right to citizenship, Vavilov's counsel say in a brief filed with the high court, according to CTV. The Supreme Court will announce in coming weeks whether it's going to hear the case, though no date has been set for the decision. They're asking the Supreme Court of Canada to dismiss the government's application for a hearing of the legal issues at the heart of the strange espionage saga that has left Alexander Vavilov, 23, in limbo. The government is appealing a ruling that returned Canadian citizenship to Vavilov after it was revoked by Ottawa. The following year the family - including an older boy, Timothy - left Canada for France, where they spent four years before moving to the United States. Vavilov, 23, was born in 1994 as Alexander Philip Anthony Foley to Donald Heathfield and Tracey Ann Foley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizenship: I hope that they correct their mistake and that they don't go forward with the deportation, according to CTV. Abdoul Abdi, who never got Canadian citizenship while growing up in foster care in Nova Scotia, was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency after serving nearly five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault. He would not be in these circumstances if it wasn't for the government, Fatouma Abdi said outside court in Halifax. Abdi's lawyer, Benjamin Perryman, said federal officials turned down the 24-year-old's request to press pause on a deportation hearing while he pursues a constitutional challenge. The former refugee was not in court because he had to work -- one of the conditions of his release to a Toronto-area halfway house. Abdi then asked the Federal Court to temporarily halt the deportation hearing -- scheduled for March 7 -- and Perryman made arguments on his behalf on Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child care: Because they lacked permanent status either through permanent residency or citizenship they would no longer receive support from the city on the basis of their immigration status, according to Toronto Star. One parent, a single mother and an international student, found herself scrambling to find answers. Early last fall, No One Is Illegal, the migrant rights group, learned from parents who are international students that their child-care subsidies were being withdrawn. At the annual review meeting where parental contribution is assessed, she was told her status as an international student meant she would be dropped from the child-care subsidy program. That's more than my pay. Without the city subsidy, child care for her two children totalled around 4,000. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ethiopian government: I believe that the public's demands and questions should be met and answered, according to Toronto Star. It was not immediately clear whether lawmakers had accepted the resignation. I want to be part of the solution, he said in remarks carried by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation. Ethiopia has been rocked by months of protests demanding wider freedoms that have left hundreds dead and tens of thousands detained. Read more Ethiopia to drop charges against political prisoners, close notorious camp Article Continued Below Ethiopian government says renewed ethnic clashes kill more than 20 people Cyril Ramaphosa sworn in as South Africa's new president a day after Jacob Zuma resigns The protests have disrupted life and business in one of Africa's fastest-growing economies. react-empty 162 The 53-year-old prime minister said he will continue in his role until the power transition is completed. The government in recent weeks released more than 6,500 detained opposition figures, journalists and others after the prime minister in an unexpected announcement in January said he wanted to widen the democratic space for all. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

inadmissibility provisions: Advocates and opposition politicians say it discriminates against people with disabilities; in December, the House of Commons immigration committee recommended the entire provision be scrapped, according to Metro News. The Liberals have agreed the program is problematic, a message Hussen repeated Thursday in his testimony before the House of Commons immigration committee. The Liberals have been under pressure for months to overhaul the medical inadmissibility provisions of Canada's immigration law, which allows the government to deny people permanent residency if, for example, their condition would create excessive demand on the health care system. The policy is out of step with Canadian values on accommodating people with disabilities. The response will come by April 12, Hussen said the deadline for the government to respond to the committee report. Hussen said the government has been consulting with provinces, and wanted to review the committee's own report before deciding how to move forward. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

license photo: In a plea agreement, he said took personal information from immigration files and then forged identification documents, such as Social Security cards and drivers' licenses, in his victims' names, according to Metro News. Sometimes, he said, he used a picture of a murder victim that had appeared in a newspaper as a license photo. Raphael Sanchez, 44, oversaw deportation proceedings in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington before resigning when charges were filed Monday. He used the forged IDs to obtain lines of credit, used credit-monitoring services to determine which of his victims had the best credit, and listed three victims as dependents on his income tax returns. Raphael Sanchez betrayed that solemn responsibility and abused his official position to prey upon aliens for his own personal gain. It is the duty of our federal immigration authorities to ensure the honest enforcement of our nation's immigration laws, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan said in a news release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

manufacturing group: Kent County immigrants get helping hand to join workforce The heating and ventilation company is trying to fill its workforce and encourages families of employees to come along and settle in the community, according to CBC. That idea appealed to Val Lagumbay and his family. So far, she has 26 clients from the Philippines, 21 of them working at the Imperial Manufacturing Group. They moved to Richibucto on Dec. 11. Lagumbay has worked abroad before, but he said having his wife and three children with him has made a huge difference. I was thinking about the future of my kids, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

press credentials: Yet it raises more questions about why he was in Syria, according to Toronto Star. He has told U.S. authorities that he was kidnapped and imprisoned by Daesh and had press credentials to do freelance writing about the conflict. The government's justification for holding the detainee without charge, contained in more than 150 pages filed late Wednesday, is loaded with details about the still-unidentified man, who is married and has a 3-year-old daughter. The case has sparked debate about the government's legal right to hold enemy combatants linked with Daesh under congressionally approved war powers written after the Sept. 11 attacks as well as the constitutional rights afforded every American citizen. The FBI interviewed someone who met the detainee in New Orleans in July 2005 when he was a college student. The government's court filing provides a detailed itinerary of the detainee's travels across the world, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey and Syria and the United States where he went to college in Louisiana. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

press pause: Abdi's lawyer, Benjamin Perryman, says federal officials turned down the 24-year-old's request to press pause on a deportation hearing while he pursues a constitutional challenge, according to The Chronicle Herald. Abdi then asked the Federal Court to temporarily halt the deportation hearing scheduled for March 7 and Perryman made arguments on his behalf in Halifax today. Abdi, who never got Canadian citizenship while growing up in foster care in Nova Scotia, was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency after serving five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault. Perryman argued proceeding with a deportation hearing while Abdi's constitutional challenge is ongoing will cause irreparable harm. Heidi Collicutt, a lawyer for the federal government, told Justice Keith Boswell that Abdi's request presupposes an unfavourable outcome at the immigration admissibility hearing, and it would not be appropriate to stop an independent body from carrying out its statutory mandate. He says the Immigration Division hearing will inevitably lead to a deportation order given the circumstances of Abdi's case, and he would no longer be able to work one of the conditions of his release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

recruitment officer: Police diversity fails to keep pace with Canadian populations Police must build relationships with Indigenous Montrealers, advocates say Compare that to the city's general population 32.8 per cent of Montrealers are visible minorities or Indigenous, according to CBC. Ingrid Cataldo, a recruitment officer with the SPVM, says the police service is trying to increase its contingent of visible minority officers. According to the SPVM's 2016 annual report the latest to be published 8.5 per cent of its police officers identify as Indigenous or as a visible minority. We think that more the police department reflects the population it serves, the better it is in understanding different values, different cultures, different languages, she said. Critics say recruitment efforts aren't strong enough, and targeting minorities for hire isn't all that has to happen. However, the number of minority officers has remained stuck at around eight per cent for the past decade. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.