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.

immigrant children: I reached out to friends in Texas and California for a list of some groups working on the ground which need our support, according to Rabble. I am sure there are more. There are corporations who are benefiting from policies like Trump and Sessions recent crackdown, but there are also organizations which have been working tirelessly to help immigrants for decades. Send me more names. Here is a list of six groups that are looking for donations and qualified volunteers 1 Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services RAICES is a trusted nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families and refugees in Texas. There are two ways I know of to help 1 donate and 2 if you have the relevant skills, offer your help to the groups asking for volunteers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant children: The protests came as demonstrations occurred around the country over the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant families, according to CTV. They offered a glimpse of what might happen on Saturday when rallies are planned coast to coast. Among them were a Washington state congresswoman, the lawmaker said on Twitter. Amid unrelenting daily images of distraught immigrant children separated from parents and herded into fenced enclosures, women sat on the floor of the Senate Hart Office building's 90-foot-high atrium. What do we want Free families! and This is what democracy looks like were among their cries. Seated around Alexander Calder's black metallic Mountain and Clouds sculpture, they shouted slogans and cheered for a handful of fist-pumping lawmakers -- all Democrats -- who waded into the crowd. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

multicultural canada: There were eight cities last year, including Halifax, according to The Chronicle Herald. It is the only place from Atlantic Canada involved. Started last year as part of the celebrations of the the 150th year of Canadian confederation, the event will feature six minutes of simultaneous drumming in 12 Canadian cities. The local organizing committee said in a release that the public event celebrates the multicultural makeup of Canada, and shows how multicultural Canada is and how the diverse communities can live together in harmony. So far, there are drummers from 56 nationalities participating in Vancouver. National organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for most nationalities in a drum circle in a single venue of a recognized orchestral piece of music lasting at least five minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trip: I'm here to support you and give my help, whatever I can on behalf of children and the families, Mrs, according to Toronto Star. Trump said as she sat down with officials at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Tucson, Ariz., the first stop of her trip. This time, she chose less controversial apparel than her last trip, which was overshadowed by a jacket. She later travelled to Phoenix, where she visited a complex that is housing dozens of migrant children separated from their parents. The Associated Press It was the first lady's second trip to a border state amid an ongoing outcry over U.S. President Donald Trump's now-suspended policy of separating migrant children from their families when they cross the border illegally. Melania Trump returned to the border Thursday to meet face-to-face with those dealing with her husband's hardline immigration policies firsthand. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

representation system: The former New Democrat 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, according to CTV. 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. 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. 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. The B.C. government proposal does not provide voters with any geographic riding, boundaries or any details on how the three different proportional representation systems would work in B.C., he said. 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. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian troops: Mohammed Suleiman Darwish, 76, was among those who left this border town for Syria with his 9-year-old granddaughter, Israa, who has not seen her parents since 2013 and will meet younger siblings who were born at home while she sought safety in Lebanon, according to The Chronicle Herald. Darwish and his granddaughter were among a batch of about 300 Syrians crammed into trucks, tractors and other vehicles piled with mattresses and blankets. But many of them also are leaving behind loved ones who are staying in the tiny Arab nation that has become home to the highest percentage of refugees in the world. They began crossing the border for an uncertain future. Israa's parents were in the same village of Suhul but stayed at home as Syrian troops marched in. When Syrian government forces and their allies launched a wide offensive on Syria's Qalamoun region in 2013, young Israa was staying with her paternal grandparents, who decided to take her with them to Lebanon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time souza: Shah ordered that the child be released Thursday, but didn't specify a time, according to Toronto Star. Souza's attorneys said she would pick up her son Thursday afternoon. Judge Manish Shah mulled his decision for just a few hours before finding that Lidia Karine Souza can have custody of her son, Diogo, who has spent four weeks at a government-contracted shelter in Chicago. Lidia Karine Souza's attorneys filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to demand her son be immediately released. Charles Rex Arbogast / The Associated Press The mother, who has applied for asylum, was released from an immigrant detention facility in Texas on June 9 and is living with relatives outside Boston. Diogo has spent four weeks at a government-contracted shelter in Chicago, much of it alone in a room, quarantined with chicken pox. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

son: Diogo frequently looked up at his mom and smiled, according to The Chronicle Herald. Asked if she had a message for President Donald Trump about her ordeal and his zero-tolerance policy that separated hundreds of children from their parents, the mother responded through a translator, Don't do this to the children. Facing reporters together just hours after the reunion, Lidia Karine Souza and her son, Diogo, wrapped their arms around each other. Under Trump's policy, the government has begun prosecuting all migrants caught entering the country without authorization. Jesse Bless, an attorney for Souza and her son who stood with them at their news conference, described the ruling by U.S. District Judge Manish Shah as unique, adding he hoped it would open the door for others to do the same and help hasten a resolution to the crisis. Trump has halted his policy of taking children from their detained parents under public pressure but around 2,000 of them are still being held, with many families saying they've not known how to locate them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

centre owners: Diogo frequently looked up at his mom and smiled.article continues below Trending Stories No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Point Grey condo owners can't stop the music Cadillac Fairview sells half its Vancouver portfolio, which includes Pacific Centre Owners of fire-damaged Shaughnessy home facing charges under city's heritage bylaw Asked if she had a message for President Donald Trump about her ordeal and his zero-tolerance policy that separated hundreds of children from their parents, the mother responded through a translator, Don't do this to the children, according to Vancouver Courier. Under Trump's policy, the government has begun prosecuting all migrants caught entering the country without authorization. Facing reporters together just hours after the reunion, Lidia Karine Souza and her son, Diogo, wrapped their arms around each other. Trump has halted his policy of taking children from their detained parents under public pressure but around 2,000 of them are still being held, with many families saying they've not known how to locate them. When asked about advice she'd give to others facing similar challenges in getting their kids back, Souza said Don't give up, be persistent. Jesse Bless, an attorney for Souza and her son who stood with them at their news conference, described the ruling by U.S. District Judge Manish Shah as unique, adding he hoped it would open the door for others to do the same and help hasten a resolution to the crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

german chancellor: The German chancellor is fighting a battle at home and abroad against critics who accuse her of endangering European security with her welcoming approach to migrants, according to Vancouver Courier. Merkel's conservative bloc is under pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany party that has received a surge in support since 2015, and populist leaders in southern and eastern Europe have rejected her calls a wholesale reform of Europe's migration system. Speaking to Parliament before heading to a European Union summit in Brussels, she described the move to lawmakers as an exceptional gesture to help relieve pressure on nearby Austria and Hungary, whose leaders had personally appealed for assistance as migrants streamed into their countries.article continues below Trending Stories No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Owners of fire-damaged Shaughnessy home facing charges under city's heritage bylaw Point Grey condo owners can't stop the music Cadillac Fairview sells half its Vancouver portfolio, which includes Pacific Centre We said in an exceptional situation we will help and now, as then, I think it was the right decision, Merkel said. Internal strife within her coalition has become so acrimonious that could bring down her government, but Merkel told parliament the implications were even broader. Faced with the likelihood that the EU's 28 members won't be able to agree unanimously on an approach, Merkel said she would seek a coalition of the willing to agree on pressing measures to tackle illegal migration until a pan-European solution could be found. Europe has many challenges, but that of migration could determine the fate of the European Union, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.