Citizenship And Immigration

Refugee Claims Dept: All had their applications rejected by the Immigration and Refugee Board or officers of Citizenship and Immigration Canada even though, in 1993, Canada became the first country in the world to establish formal guidelines for refugee claims by women facing gender-related persecution, according to Calgary Herald. Four of the recent cases involve women -two from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, one from Brazil and one from Mexico -who are victims of spousal abuse. The other is a woman from Guyana who was raped in front of her children during a home invasion and the parallels in the five refugee cases are striking. All feature women seeking to remain in Canada because of well-founded fears for their safety in their home countries. And in the past month, the Federal Court has overturned all five decisions and ordered new hearings. As reported in the news.
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Shik Dept: But all their hard work may have been for naught, according to The Star. Tae-Shik Maeng, his wife Hee-Eun Jang, and sons Jung-Joo John , 19, and Sung-Joo, 14, moved from Seoul to Moncton, N.B., in 2003, shortly after Sung-Joo was diagnosed with autism and epilepsy. The family believed the clean east-coast air would help improve the boy s health and since arriving in Canada from South Korea eight years ago, the Maengs have been model residents they have built a successful business, are putting their kids through school and are paying their taxes. The family is facing deportation later this month because Citizenship and Immigration Canada has decided their 14-year-old autistic son will place an excessive demand on the country s health and social services. As reported in the news.
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Citizenship And Immigration Minister Jason Kenney Dept: Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux, the party's citizenship and immigration critic, blasted Kenney and his government's recent changes to the interim federal health program IFHP , that cut access to medication and other expenses for certain refugees, according to CBC. All medications and ongoing medical care, including dental care, were covered before the changes and citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney should support a study of the federal government's refugee health program cuts and put an end to his disparaging talk about refugees, Liberals said today. Regular refugee claimants whose applications are pending now only have access to doctors and hospital services if it is an urgent or emergency situation. Medications now are only covered if they are needed to prevent or treat a disease that is a public health risk. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

body: To avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest, the committee recommends the new body report to a minister other than the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, according to CBC. As soon as the new body is up and running, the government should revoke the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council's designation as the regulatory body, the committee recommends. In a report tabled today, called Starting Again Improving Government Oversight of Immigration Consultants, the standing committee on citizenship and immigration calls for the creation of an independent, government-regulated body to oversee immigration consultants. Canada's current regulatory body that governs immigration and citizenship consultants and paralegals is unable to serve its purpose, the report concludes. Liberals face pressure to crack down on 'ghost' immigration consultants Council overseeing immigration consultants appears to be in turmoil Oversight council for immigration consultants faces criticism The committee says only lawyers and consultants admitted to the profession by the new regulatory body should be authorized to accept payments for immigration services, and that members should have more rigorous standards for admission in terms of training, education and ethics. The committee calls for a new regulatory framework governing immigration and citizenship consultants and paralegals that gives the government a stronger oversight role. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Deschamps Dept: The Star has learned from government documents obtained through the Access to Information Act that they were originally supposed to go Montreal and to other destinations in Canada after that, according to The Star. Most are destined to Quebec but some to other regions, wrote Albert Deschamps, director general, Quebec region of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, on Jan. 21. The plan is that they will most likely arrive at Dorval and final destination flight departing soon after and haitian orphans destined for Quebec, many of them cold and exhausted, were rerouted through Ottawa for what critics say was nothing more than a photo-op for the Harper government. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake on Jan. 12 and many children were left homeless and alone. The government was under a great deal of pressure to speed up existing requests for adoptions by Canadian parents. As reported in the news.
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Montreal Gazette Dept: Amir Attaran, who applied in 2009 to sponsor his parents to immigrate from the United States, says the long delays that face landed immigrants trying to sponsor their parents or grandparents allow the government to keep them out of the country, but still pocket $1,000 in fees, according to Montreal Gazette. It takes only 37 days for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to assess an applicant wishing to sponsor a spouse or child, but 42 months to assess someone wanting to bring over a parent or grandparent, a delay that has more than doubled over the past decade and the federal government is laying out a welcome mat for investors and skilled workers, but it's slamming the door shut on parents and grandparents, says a law professor at the University of Ottawa, who has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission for discrimination based on age and family status. At issue are the different delays faced by sponsors and the medical exam requirements faced by sponsorees. As reported in the news.
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Health Education Dept: Just over a week ago they got a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada saying care for their 15-year-old son, Sung-Joo Maeng who is autistic and epileptic was too expensive, according to CBC. On Wednesday, the federal government received a letter from the province promising to provide health, education and social services for the Maeng family as long as they're granted permanent or temporary resident status and sung-Joo Maeng,15, has autism and epilepsy and that's why his family was served a deportation letter last week. The Maeng family has been granted a temporary stay of three years while their permanent residency application is being processed, according to a news release from the family's lawyer. Since then the Moncton community has rallied around the family and politicians have been working overtime to help reverse the decision. As reported in the news.
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Toronto Community Dept: Though not a new phenomenon, elder abuse is seen more frequently by workers in immigrant services. The marked increase has been noted since Citizenship and Immigration Canada, under a funding agreement with Ontario in 2005, began investing more resources in seniors English classes, drop ins and recreational programs. In once case, a woman was sponsored by her daughter and son in law from Sri Lanka in 1995 to cook and clean the couple s house and babysit their two children. Greater Toronto community workers are becoming increasingly concerned about elderly immigrants sponsored to Canada and then abused by family members. Many of our immigrant seniors don t have an idea what elder abuse is, said Maya Roy, executive director of Newcomer Women s Services Toronto . The issue only comes up in a group when people meet in class, get to know each other and start talking. As reported in the news.

Related Websites

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

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Track And Field Championships Dept: More than 1,400 athletes from 163 countries competed in 44 events during the weeklong event, which ended Sunday, according to CBC. Games officials say they knew defections were a possibility and were working with the federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration on what to do if someone approached staff or volunteers hoping to remain in the country and the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships have wrapped up in Moncton, N.B., and there are now suggestions that some participants are attempting to defect to Canada. It's not unusual for athletes, team officials and even foreign journalists to use sporting events like the world juniors to seek asylum. 'We don't validate if any information is true. We don't investigate. We just pass along any things we're hearing to authorities, which we did do this week.' Nancy McKay, chief operating officer As reported in the news.
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Citizenship And Immigration Minister Jason Kenney Talks Dept: CALGARY - Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says it's time to hit the "reset button" and temporarily put the brakes on new applications under two programs popular with skilled workers wanting to come to Canada from abroad, according to Winnipeg Free Press. "Effective next week we will be issuing a temporary pause on new applications for the federal skilled worker program," Kenney said in a speech to a C.D. Howe immigration conference and citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney talks about immigration legislation in Ottawa, Ont. on Wednesday June 20, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Kenney told a business audience Thursday that the government is placing a six-month moratorium on the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Immigrant Investor Program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Staff at Citizenship and Immigration Canada were asked last year to suggest ways to cut down on the number of high needs refugees in order to reduce strain on the health-care system, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press, according to The Star. He was eventually given a series of options including a cap on refugees with health problems such as developmental delay, blindness, victims of trauma and torture allowed from within a specific population group, according to one memo and MONTREAL The federal government has examined setting limits on the number of refugees that Canada takes in with health problems, such as trauma from torture. That request came from former immigration minister Jason Kenney, who is still the Conservatives minister responsible for multiculturalism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada Dept: Newlywed newcomers better be in love or be prepared to tough it out in the relationship for two years if they don't want to get kicked out of Canada, according to Winnipeg Free Press. "For two years you have to stay married," said MP Kevin Lamoureux, who heard the news on Valentine's Day as a member of the standing committee on citizenship and immigration. The government is bringing into force regulatory changes to deter marriage fraud, he said and barbara Judt, holding a resident's baby, worries about those who are abused by their spouses. PHIL HOSSACK / Citizenship and Immigration Canada is changing Immigration and Refugee Protection regulations to make a sponsored spouse stay in the relationship for at least two years once they get permanent residence status, or they have to get out of Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Staff at Citizenship and Immigration Canada were asked last year to suggest ways to cut down on the number of high needs refugees in order to reduce strain on the health-care system, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press, according to The Star. He was eventually given a series of options including a cap on refugees with health problems such as developmental delay, blindness, victims of trauma and torture allowed from within a specific population group, according to one memo and MONTREAL The federal government has examined setting limits on the number of refugees that Canada takes in with health problems, such as trauma from torture. That request came from former immigration minister Jason Kenney, who is still the Conservatives minister responsible for multiculturalism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Candice Malcolm Dept: "We are aware of crooked consultants who encourage pregnant women to illegally travel to Canada to give birth and gain access to Canada's considerable benefits," Citizenship and Immigration spokeswoman Candice Malcolm told Postmedia News on Sunday, according to Vancouver Sun. The government will introduce changes to the citizenship laws in the next year, Ms. Malcolm said and citizenship and Immigration Canada is poised to crack down on "passport babies" or "birth tourism"--the practice of travelling to Canada to give birth so that child can have Canadian citizenship--as a media report out of China reveals a ring of consultants who coach pregnant women to do exactly that. "We condemn the practice of circumventing our laws to game the system, leaving Canadians taxpayers with the bill. This is unfair and not right." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Agenda Item Dept: Members of the York South-Weston Local Immigration Partnership LIP , which coordinates newcomer programs to reduce duplication of services, had planned to discuss the $53 million funding cuts at its Jan. 13 meeting, according to The Star. I don t believe that CIC settlement funding is a topic for the . . . meeting and therefore it should not be an agenda item, said the note from federal settlement officer Nina Serrano and immigrant service agencies were horrified when they got a government email last week banning them from discussing recent federal funding cuts that may kill some of them a memo Citizenship and Immigration Canada now says was all a big mistake. The 26 member organizations were shocked to receive a mass email from a CIC official ordering them to remove the topic from the agenda. As reported in the news.
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Citizenship and Immigration Canada: S immigration minister truculently announced Tuesday that the government will comply with a Federal Court ruling obliging it to provide health care to asylum-seekers, for now. Chris Alexander also said the Harper government is appealing the decision. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced in 2012 it would no longer pay for health benefits for refugee claimants and privately sponsored refugees the first year they are in Canada. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander CP The decision of the federal government to cut funding in the first place is baffling, particularly to those who provide services for refugees in Canada. Moreover, it is disingenuous to spin the reason for axing the program as economic rather than what it is, ideological. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada Dept: "We are aware of crooked consultants who encourage pregnant women to illegally travel to Canada to give birth and gain access to Canada's considerable benefits," Citizenship and Immigration spokeswoman Candice Malcolm told Postmedia News on Sunday, according to Winnipeg Free Press. The government will introduce changes to the citizenship laws in the next year, Malcolm said and citizenship and Immigration Canada is poised to crack down on so-called "passport babies" or "birth tourism" -- the practice of travelling to Canada to give birth so that child can have Canadian citizenship -- as a media report out of China reveals a ring of consultants are coaching pregnant women to do exactly that. "We condemn the practice of circumventing our laws to game the system, leaving Canadians taxpayers with the bill. This is unfair and not right." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship And Immigration Dept: He received the Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism from Citizenship and Immigration Canada last June. He won the Canadian Ethnic Media Association award for online journalism early last November. And he was granted the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship on Nov. 23. In 2009, he won Toronto s William P. Hubbard Race Relations Award, according to The Star. Has the website made a difference to the community and paul Nguyen, community activist and founder of jane-finch.com , has raked in the awards for his work on the grassroots website. The Toronto Star spoke with Nguyen about jane-finch.com and the neighbourhood it reflects. As reported in the news.
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Shocking Revelations Dept: In February 2007, officials with Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC requested an investigation into "the high number of potential fraud cases related to possible marriages of convenience" in the Punjab region in India, according to internal documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, according to CBC. The investigation produced shocking revelations about the number and nature of the marriages, including ties to the sex trade, narcotics trafficking, embezzlement and human smuggling and marriages of convenience are a continuing issue for Canada's immigration system, despite internal warnings by immigration officials in 2007 that they were a serious concern, the has learned. At the time, CIC was fielding a growing number of complaints from people who had married foreign nationals and paid for them to get into the country, only to have them leave the marriage upon arriving in Canada. In some cases, the new spouses took off as soon as they landed at the airport. Marriages of convenience, in which one person weds another just to gain entry to a country, are a growing problem for Canadian immigration officials. Tom Hanson/Canadian Press As reported in the news.
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Immigration Minister Jason Kenney Dept: "Studies found that enclaves have a negative impact on the earnings growth for male and female immigrants," says a report obtained by Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Richard Kurland under the Access to Information Act, according to Vancouver Sun. The report focused on concerns within Citizenship and Immigration Canada about the ability of PN applicants in some provinces to speak one of Canada's two official languages. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney recently acted on those concerns, announcing in April that PN applicants in semi-and low-skilled jobs will be required, starting July 1, to meet minimum language standards in English or French and immigrants who work in ethnic "enclaves" in major cities earn less than other Canadians and have a tougher time adapting to the economy, an internal federal government document states. The point was included in a federal report prepared in early 2011 assessing minimum language standards for immigrants brought to Canada under the provincial nominee or PN program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.