american policy: A rally in Halifax joined hundreds of events around the world pushing back against an American policy separating families caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Toronto Star. Stacey Gomez / THE CANADIAN PRESS Masuma Khan, the daughter of Afghanistan immigrants, says Canada has been separating Indigenous families for decades. While Halifax's event was intended to stand in solidarity with detained migrants south of the border, activists say Canada's record of separating families is far from spotless. As examples, she pointed to residential schools the last of which closed in the mid-90s and the Sixties Scoop, a practice in which about 20,000 Indigenous children were taken from their homes and adopted into non-Indigenous families between 1951 and 1991. Article Continued Below He says it's important to show that there's international pressure for the U.S. to stop separating families at the border. Sam Bolton attended the rally with his toddler son Tobias and says he was struck by how needlessly cruel and horrifying the U.S. policy is. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

concentration camps: They carried signs reading No more children in cages, and What's next Concentration Camps In major cities and tiny towns, hundreds of thousands of marchers gathered Saturday across America, moved by accounts of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, in the latest act of mass resistance against President Donald Trump's immigration policies, according to The Chronicle Herald. Protesters flooded more than 700 marches, from immigrant-friendly cities like New York and Los Angeles to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming. They shook their fists in the air. They gathered on the front lawn of a Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, near a detention centre where migrant children were being held in cages, and on a street corner near Trump's golf resort at Bedminster, New Jersey, where the president is spending the weekend. His zero tolerance policy led officials to take more than 2,000 children from their parents as they tried to enter the country illegally, most of them fleeing violence, persecution or economic collapse in their home countries. Trump has backed away from family separations amid bipartisan and international uproar. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right message: Many of the people who attended Calgary's rally said they were there because someone needed to send the right message to the government, according to CTV. People need to start standing up to injustices like this and let the governments know that we're tired of it and we're not going to take stuff like this, said Amanda Puerzer. More than 2,500 migrant children have been taken away from their families in recent weeks and held in detention centres as part of the Trump administration's immigration policies. It's just unconscionable to know that kids are being held like political pawns in camps without their parents. Every little bit of impact, every little bit of influence helps. Pam Cole, a social worker, also attended the rally says she is passionate about the fight and knows that a rally in Calgary is just as important as one on the steps of the White House. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

protest sign: Hundreds of North American cities took part in the Families Belong Together rally Saturday, according to CTV. Among the protesters was Laura Mae Lindo, the MPP elect for Kitchener Centre. Passing vehicles showed their support with honks and waves. When you see images of children behind bars, crying, you have to come out, she said. The organizer of the protest, Emily Squirrell, has a one-year-old son. Lindo cited one specific protest sign, reading, When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty, as a reason for her participation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shahed albahleh: The Calgary Immigrant Support Society said bikes are in high demand for new and low-income families in the city, according to Toronto Star. Courtesy of Saima Jamal Albahleh and her family came to Calgary a few months ago as Syrian refugees. Twelve-year-old Shahed Albahleh and her four siblings were some of the children who received bikes. She'd always wanted a bike, but her family wasn't able to purchase one. I'm thankful for Saima and Gina, said Albahleh. I'm really happy for it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

signs reading: They carried signs reading No more children in cages, and What's next Concentration Camps In major cities and tiny towns, thousands of marchers gathered across America, moved by accounts of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, in the latest act of mass resistance against U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies, according to CTV. I'm hoping that decent human beings come together, and enough is enough, we're taking out country back over, that evil is not going to prevail, said Patricia Carlan, a grandmother of nine from Danville, Indiana, among hundreds who gathered at her state's capital. They shook their fists in the air. More than 700 planned marches drew hundreds of thousands of people across the country, from immigrant-friendly cities like New York and Los Angeles to conservative Appalachia and Indiana to the front lawn of a Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, near a detention centre where migrant children were being held in cages. In New York City, Trump's hometown, thousands of marchers poured across the Brooklyn Bridge in sweltering 90-degree heat, chanting shame! and Donald Trump must go! Drivers honked their horns in support. There, people held American and Texas flags and signs depicting a migrant father, mother and child as the Holy Family with haloed heads travelling through the desert. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thousands: And above it, the words, 2,342 and counting, according to Toronto Star. The installation is meant to represent the thousands of asylum-seeking children separated from their families in the United States. But upon closer inspection, you'll notice a large, vertical sign with a photo of a little girl crying that seems slightly familiar. Nadia Pestrak / FACEBOOK EVENT This isn't a regular piece of art. Under the policy, thousands of asylum-seeking children have been separated from their parents and relatives and placed in detention centres across the country. It's Toronto's newest installation, designed by organizers to represent the thousands of children separated from their families in the United States under U.S. President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada place: Scroll down or click here to view the events on an interactive map, according to CTV. VANCOUVER Want to spend the day downtown The celebrations at Canada Place begin with a 10 a.m. citizenship ceremony, and continue through the day with musical performances, exhibits and food trucks. CTV Vancouver will be broadcasting live from one of the largest parties Surrey Canada Day but we've rounded up a list of July 1 events happening from Whistler to Hope. The grand finale, a 20-minute fireworks show, starts at 10 30 p.m. A full schedule, including performer bios, is available on the Canada Place website. The best viewing locations include Canada Place, Harbour Green Park, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park near the 9 o'clock gun, Crab Park and the West Vancouver seawall between Ambleside and Dundarave. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child labour.article: Neighboring Malaysia fell from tier 2 on the watchlist, according to Vancouver Courier. Hong Kong, China and Singapore were faulted for inadequate efforts to prevent sex trafficking and forced labour. The Trafficking in Persons annual report cited progress but also problems across the region, especially weak enforcement of protections against trafficking and slave and child labour.article continues below Trending Stories Owners of fire-damaged Shaughnessy home facing charges under city's heritage bylaw No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. Street argument in East Vancouver results in seventh homicide in 2018The report released Thursday raised Thailand from a watchlist to tier 2, the second-highest ranking. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Friday he was grateful for the improved assessment as it reflects the determination and sincere intentions of the Thai government and our continued hard-work to tackle the issue of human trafficking. The State Department report cited the government's convictions of traffickers and complicit officials, including 11 involved in the trafficking of Myanmar's Rohingya migrants. Thailand has faced global scrutiny for the use of slave labour on fishing vessels and for being a transit hub for traffickers from nearby nations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

effect june: Conservative MP Michelle Rempel.---article continues below Trending Stories Owners of fire-damaged Shaughnessy home facing charges under city's heritage bylaw No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. Street argument in East Vancouver results in seventh homicide in 2018Michelle Rempel, the official Opposition's immigration critic, issued a news release earlier this week criticizing the Trudeau government's handling of the ongoing influx of so-called irregular migrants coming across the Canada-U.S. border, according to Vancouver Courier. In it, she said the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board would be rejected a claim she attributes to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, who said a bit more than 90 per cent of irregular migrants do not meet our criteria to claim asylum and that they must leave. It is not compassionate nor prudent to give these individuals false hope when we know that the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board will eventually be rejected. But is either statement true Spoiler alert The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of no baloney to full of baloney complete methodology below . This one earns a rating of a lot of baloney. Thousands of asylum seekers have since arrived in Canada from the U.S., avoiding official border checkpoints where they'd have been turned away under the Safe Third Country agreement between the two countries. Here's why.THE FACTSCanada began experiencing an influx of irregular border crossers in early 2017, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would end a program that offered temporary protected status to immigrants from several countries, including Haiti, to live in the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee application: Under the previous system, refugees were left waiting to apply for driver's licences until after their claim had been heard, that can sometimes mean months held in limbo, according to CTV. Service Alberta Minister Brian Malkinson says the change will help refugees feel valued in the province. The new process allows claimants to apply and test for a driver's licence for a one-year term while their refugee application is still being reviewed by the federal government. I've heard from many of these new Albertans who are unable to work because they've not been allowed to get a driver's licence. Our government has the backs of working people and these changes will make life better for refugees and their families, he said in a release. That's not right and that's why we're taking action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

change: Service Alberta Minister Brian Malkinson blamed Alberta's previous Conservative government for the 2012 change that barred refugee claimants from using federally issued ID to apply for a driver's licence, according to Toronto Star. Madeline Smith / Star Metro Calgary Calgary Centre for Newcomers CEO Anila Lee Yuen praised the change as an important part of helping refugee claimants build lives in Alberta. Service Alberta Minister Brian Malkinson said Alberta is the only province that had this type of barrier in place, and the change brings the government in line with policy in the rest of the country. Madeline Smith / Star Metro Calgary Mahmoud Al-Astal, a refugee claimant from Palestine, described the barriers he experienced when he couldn't get a driver's licence after arriving in Calgary. Malkinson blamed Alberta's previous Conservative government for the 2012 change that barred refugee claimants from using federally issued ID to apply for a driver's licence. Madeline Smith / Star Metro Calgary Refugee claimants are allowed to live and work in Canada while they wait for their immigration confirmation hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and there is no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to drive during that time, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guatemala: Tell your people that coming to the United States illegally will only result in a hard journey and a harder life, U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence told the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador late Thursday in a meeting in, according to Toronto Star. ORLANDO ESTRADA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES Pence said U.S. officials were working to keep families together and welcomed legal immigration from their countries, but he urged the presidents to tell your people that coming to the United States illegally will only result in a hard journey and a harder life. This exodus must end, Pence told the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador late Thursday in a meeting in Guatemala City. He made the comments to Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, leaders of countries where economic struggles and violent crime have pushed many people to try to sneak into the U.S. in hopes of finding better lives. Article Continued Below But, he added, the U.S. is determined to act strongly against those who don't. The U.S. vice-president said the Trump administration will always welcome immigrants who follow the rules in getting permission to enter the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hockey league: It wasn't easy skating away from some of the comments directed his way, according to The Chronicle Herald. Mike and I could tell some stories. He and Washington Capitals' teammate Mike Marson were among the few blacks playing in the National Hockey League. We had a lot of good times, but we had a lot of bad times as well, said the 67-year-old Amherst native who scored 31 goals in five NHL seasons with Washington and the Winnipeg Jets. It was recently announced that Willie O'Ree, the first black man to play in the NHL, will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There were lots of times we had to turn a deaf ear to what was being said or what was going on, but at least we had an opportunity to fulfil our dream. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee board: In it, she said the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board would be rejected -- a claim she attributes to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, who said a bit more than 90 per cent of irregular migrants do not meet our criteria to claim asylum and that they must leave, according to CTV. But is either statement true Spoiler alert The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of no baloney to full of baloney complete methodology below . This one earns a rating of a lot of baloney. It is not compassionate nor prudent to give these individuals false hope when we know that the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board will eventually be rejected. -- Conservative MP Michelle Rempel. --- Michelle Rempel, the official Opposition's immigration critic, issued a news release earlier this week criticizing the Trudeau government's handling of the ongoing influx of so-called irregular migrants coming across the Canada-U.S. border. Here's why. Thousands of asylum seekers have since arrived in Canada from the U.S., avoiding official border checkpoints where they'd have been turned away under the Safe Third Country agreement between the two countries. THE FACTS Canada began experiencing an influx of irregular border crossers in early 2017, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would end a program that offered temporary protected status to immigrants from several countries, including Haiti, to live in the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights abusers: Amnesty International has a myriad of national and international campaigns and they could use your help, according to Rabble. If you want to tell human rights abusers that they have to stop, then please join us Tuesday, July 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mississauga Central Library, 301 Burnhamthorpe Rd. But, there is a group that inspires hope here at home and around the world. W. Square One . This will be an introductory session about the work of Amnesty International and how you can help promote and protect human rights. No More Stolen Sisters is calling for a comprehensive response to discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Here's a small sampling of the campaigns Amnesty is currently working on. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dish: The thick stew combines vegetables and protein with a thick peanut sauce and is traditionally served in the same clay pots it's cooked in, according to Toronto Star. Paul Wi, Shawn Tse, and Katherine Wi prepare the popular Filipino dish kare kare. Kare kare though not as popular as the de facto Filipino national dish adobo is a favourite among the Filipino community in Canada and their first-generation children. Shawn Tse / Seconds, Please! It's a dish Katherine Wi grew up eating in her north-end home in Edmonton. Shawn Tse a local filmmaker directed the film as part of his series called Seconds, Please!, which focuses on first-generation immigrants learning how to cook traditional food from their parents. On Friday, she, along with her father, will be the focus of a new film as they prepare the rich stew together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

slave labour: The report released Thursday raised Thailand from a watchlist to tier 2, the second-highest ranking, according to The Chronicle Herald. Neighboring Malaysia fell from tier 2 on the watchlist. The Trafficking in Persons annual report cited progress but also problems across the region, especially weak enforcement of protections against trafficking and slave and child labour. Hong Kong, China and Singapore were faulted for inadequate efforts to prevent sex trafficking and forced labour. Thailand has faced global scrutiny for the use of slave labour on fishing vessels and for being a transit hub for traffickers from nearby nations. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Friday he was grateful for the improved assessment as it reflects the determination and sincere intentions of the Thai government and our continued hard-work to tackle the issue of human trafficking. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

supreme court: Perhaps he would lecture about the irony of Trump's election in a country founded on the unshakeable principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, according to Rabble. Instead, I listened to my professor explain, as countless others after him did, why Trump wouldn't be that bad for America or the rest of the world. I attended my political theory class to find a sliver of solace in my professor's eloquence. My professors, most of them white, male, and in privileged positions, explained that the supreme court must undoubtedly uphold the American constitution and protect civil liberties. The tone in which they spoke was seductive. One in particular projected that Trump dared not implement his ludicrous campaign promises of a Muslim ban, a wall at the Mexican border, or attacks on free trade agreements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wang yi: We will contribute our efforts to help with offering more humanitarian aids in line with Bangladesh's needs, Wang said, according to The Chronicle Herald. Ali said the two had had detailed discussions about the status of the refugees and that he sought China's support for the early reparation of these displaced people back to their homeland in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Wang Yi also told reporters that China hoped repatriation of refugees could begin as early as possible, following a meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Beijing. About 700,000 Rohingya have fled into neighbouring Bangladesh since last August to escape what United Nations and U.S. officials have called an ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmar's government. The U.N. refugee agency has signed a preliminary agreement for the return of the refugees with Bangladesh and Myanmar provided the conditions for a safe and orderly repatriation are fulfilled something aid workers say still has not happened on the ground in Myanmar. Ali gave the number of refugees at 1.1 million. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

explosion: Aug 24-26. 10 am-10 pm, according to NOW Magazine. Free. The Scarborough Community Multicultural Festival is an exciting 3-day cultural explosion of cuisine, music, revelry and entertainment, including visual and performing arts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ford government: One example is the elimination of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, according to National Observer. The changes signal the initial steps the Ford government is taking to reduce the cost and size of government, as the Tories promised to do in the last election. These are among some of the details of the first cabinet in Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford's new government. ; Ford eliminated or altered some of the ministries of the former Liberal government, reducing the size of cabinet to 21 from 29 and signalling some changed priorities by renaming and merging some responsibilities. Opposition parties were less than enthusiastic about the government's new look, criticizing the premier for merging Indigenous affairs with energy, mines and northern affairs; adding Francophone affairs to the attorney general's portfolio; and replacing the Ministry of the Status of Women with women's issues responsibilities in another portfolio. He is the former chair of Postmedia and former president and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Rod Phillips was named minister of the environment, conservation and parks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news release: Conservative MP Michelle Rempel.--- ; Michelle Rempel, the official Opposition's immigration critic, issued a news release earlier this week criticizing the Trudeau government's handling of the ongoing influx of so-called irregular migrants coming across the Canada-U.S. border, according to National Observer. In it, she said the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board would be rejected a claim she attributes to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, who said a bit more than 90 per cent of irregular migrants do not meet our criteria to claim asylum and that they must leave. It is not compassionate nor prudent to give these individuals false hope when we know that the majority of the asylum claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board will eventually be rejected. But is either statement true Spoiler alert The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of no baloney to full of baloney complete methodology below . This one earns a rating of a lot of baloney. Thousands of asylum seekers have since arrived in Canada from the U.S., avoiding official border checkpoints where they'd have been turned away under the Safe Third Country agreement between the two countries. Here's why.THE FACTSCanada began experiencing an influx of irregular border crossers in early 2017, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would end a program that offered temporary protected status to immigrants from several countries, including Haiti, to live in the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

representation system: Former B.C. premier ujjaldosanjh advocates NoBCPro Rep on grounds proportional representation could usher in extremist parties, according to National Observer. BCpoli via Nat Observer The former New Democratic Party premier told a news conference Thursday that the party he once led is proposing a complicated proportional representation system requiring only a five per cent threshold to guard against extremist parties in the legislature. Dosanjh said Germany, the Netherlands and Hungary require very low percentages of people to vote in candidates with racist views, and that has changed those political landscapes in a negative way. Proportional representation is a system in which the number of seats held by a party largely matches the percentage of votes its candidates receive versus the first-past-the-post model in which a candidate with the most votes in a district wins and then represents the riding. However, Dosanjh said the current first-past-the-post model has proven to be simple and stable and that a mail-in ballot this fall asking voters who agree to proportional representation and then rank three system models would be confusing and unfair. Mail-in ballot confusing and unfair, says Dosanjh ; Premier John Horgan has said the agreement with the Green party allowing the New Democrats to form government last year is an example of electoral reform, in that proportional representation would allow parties to form coalitions to work together on various issues. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york city: Groups that pulled off massive women's marches the past two years and other left-leaning rallies are throwing their weight behind migrant families Saturday, according to Vancouver Courier. More than 600 marches could draw hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, from immigrant-friendly cities like Los Angeles and New York City to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming.article continues below Trending Stories Owners of fire-damaged Shaughnessy home facing charges under city's heritage bylaw No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Homicide investigators looking into death of local Raena Henry Vancouver overdose deaths reached 'historical high' in 2017Though many are seasoned anti-Trump demonstrators, others are new to immigration activism, including parents who say they feel compelled to show up after heart-wrenching accounts of children forcibly taken from their families as they crossed the border illegally. Immigrants who have spent years fighting to change the country's immigration system are getting newfound support from liberal activists, moms and first-time protesters motivated by a visceral narrative President Donald Trump's administration separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. In Portland, Oregon, for example, several stay-at-home moms are organizing their first rally while caring for young kids. I just reached a point where I felt I had to do more. I'm not a radical, and I'm not an activist, said Kate Sharaf, a Portland co-organizer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cages right: Ebrahim Toure, pictured here behind glass at the visiting area of the Immigration Holding Centre, has been held in immigration detention since February 2013 because Canada has been unable to deport him, according to Toronto Star. Brendan Kennedy / Toronto Star What if we rattle his f---in' cages right away Rustja asked. During a break in the proceedings Monday, Andrej Rustja, a hearings officer for the Canada Border Services Agency, was talking to his colleague John Oliveira as they prepared to cross-examine Ebrahim Toure a failed refugee claimant who has spent more than five years behind bars because Canada has been unable to deport him. I can ask the softball questions, no problem, Oliveira said. A Star reporter overheard their conversation from a separate room where audio and video from the hearing is streamed. Rustja and Oliveira were speaking in an otherwise empty hearing room before the resumption of Toure's public hearing to determine whether his detention should be continued. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.