immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

asylum system: This is an invasion, Trump declared, as he has previously on a subject that has been shown to resonate strongly with his base of Republican supporters, according to CTV. He made his comments Thursday at the White House in a rambling, campaign-style speech that was billed as a response to caravans of migrants travelling slowly by foot toward the U.S. border. Trump also said he had told the U.S. military mobilizing at the southwest border that if U.S. troops face rock-throwing migrants, they should react as though the rocks were rifles. But Trump offered few details on how exactly he planned to overhaul an asylum system he claimed was plagued by endemic abuse that he said makes a mockery of our immigration system. But Trump said he would limit that to official crossing points. U.S. immigration laws make clear that migrants seeking asylum may do so either at or between border crossings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

german army: In the summer of 1941, as the German army was approaching, my father gathered family members together and with them, my parents and older brother, who was 3 at the time, escaped to Russia and found themselves in Uzbekistan, according to Toronto Star. My father was immediately torn from his family and taken to a labour camp in Siberia. He witnessed and endured the state-sanctioned racism which Jews faced daily in Eastern Europe. He toiled, as did so many others, in indescribable conditions. Community members hold candles at a vigil for the Pittsburgh victims, in Cambridge, Mass., one of many such ceremonies held around North America. He never had the loving pleasure of seeing and holding his daughter, who was born shortly after he was taken away and who did not survive through infancy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i steel: It's a shameless allusion to the mummy scene in Psycho, so I steel myself for a screaming panic, according to Vancouver Observer. But then the overhead spots fade and, in the blackness, the figure bounds silently away. Barely two metres from my front row seat in the Cultch's curtainless, open-plan Historic Theatre, a deathly still figure slumps in an armchair, her back to us so that all we can see is her steel grey chignon. Still, when the lights come back up, the film noir aesthetic continues. In this world premiere production, director John Cooper infuses Loretta Seto's script, The Ones We Leave Behind, with all the tropes of a police procedural. It's baked right into the peeling plaster and thrift store chic of Pam Johnson's one room stage set, the slatted moir s of Gerald King's side lighting and the moody sax-and-siren ruminations of Dorothy Dittrich's background soundtrack. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

metro phoenix: In this May 22, 2018, file photo, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks during a campaign event in Phoenix, according to Toronto Star. Matt York / Associated Press The ad centres on Luis Bracamontes, who was convicted of murder in the 2014 shooting deaths of two sheriff's deputies in California while he was in the United States illegally. The former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix says he's being unfairly blamed for releasing the immigrant depicted in the video that has stoked immigration anxieties in the days leading up to the midterm elections. Trump blames Democrats for weak laws that allowed the man to keep coming across the border, even though he was deported during the administrations of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He campaigned for Trump on several occasions during the presidential campaign but lost his bid for a seventh term in 2016 amid a swirl of legal troubles. Bracamontes was also incarcerated four times in jails run by Arpaio, a Republican who is known for his crackdowns on illegal immigration and being the first person to receive a pardon from Trump. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

navy admiral: The troops going to the border areas of Texas, Arizona and California are a small fraction of the military's roughly 1.3 million active-duty members, and the mission is set to last only 45 days, according to CTV. But many question the wisdom of drawing even several thousand away from training for their key purpose to win wars. Some argue it detracts from it. James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral and former head of the U.S. Southern Command, said the troops should be preparing for combat and other missions, not monitoring a peaceful border for the arrival of a migrant caravan of several thousand people on foot, still about 900 miles 1,450 kilometres away. It places U.S. troops who are fundamentally untrained for the mission of border security and border enforcement into an area of operations, which could cause incidents of a negative character. It sends a terrible signal to Latin America and the Caribbean as we unnecessarily militarize our border, Stavridis, who also served as the top NATO commander, said Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vote tuesday: And it includes footage of Luis Bracamontes, a twice-deported immigrant from Mexico sentenced to death in California for killing two police officers, according to CTV. Dangerous illegal criminals like cop-killer Luis Bracamontes don't care about our laws, the narrator says against footage of the caravan, which remains hundreds of miles from the southern border. The new ad, tweeted by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, warns ominously that a caravan of migrants that has been travelling toward the U.S. must be stopped. America cannot allow this invasion. The decision to use the footage in an official campaign ad is the latest of Trump's election-week efforts to stoke fear and anti-immigrant sentiment in hopes of motivating Republicans to vote Tuesday. The migrant caravan must be stopped. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ward election: That appeal will be heard starting June 10, according to Toronto Star. Even though Toronto went ahead with a 25-ward election in October, the court battle over the number of wards isn't over. The province filed fresh evidence last week in an appeal of a judge's decision that Premier Doug Ford's council-cutting legislation, Bill 5, was unconstitutional. Rick Madonik / Toronto Star Though Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba ruled Sept. 10 that the legislation tabled by the rookie premier and former city councillor without any prior notice should be stuck down, the province was successful in convincing a higher court to stay that decision essentially putting the court ruling on hold until the appeal could be heard. What's next in the court fight is the June hearing at the Court of Appeal. That set the stage for the Oct. 22 election to go ahead with a smaller, 25-ward race instead of the planned 47 wards approved by council years earlier. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

legislature chamber: He's no longer a member of the United Conservative party, said Kenney, according to National Observer. Don't go so hard on him you guys, maybe he was just trying to eat his cookie throwbackthursday ablegtrivia https //t.co/pao498ZPzs Shannon Phillips SPhillipsAB November 1, 2018Kenney declined further comment and has not otherwise made himself available to answer questions during the first week of the fall legislature sitting. Kenney walked past reporters waiting to question him Thursday on his way into the legislature chamber. ; He would only say that Adam Strashok is out and reiterated that future party members will be screened to avoid those linked to hateful comments. Earlier this week, Kenney issued a statement saying he had ordered Strashok expelled from the party and he didn't know about Strashok's background when he worked on his campaign in 2017. It's the latest in a series of United Conservative supporters voicing or associating with people expressing hateful and intolerant views. Strashok has not commented on the reports. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

reporters thursday: The Iranian government has denied Mombeini permission to travel after her husband, an environmentalist and university professor, died in a Tehran prison while being held on espionage accusations, according to National Observer. That is what we need to resolve with Iran before moving on to any other issue, Freeland said in a conference call with reporters Thursday. Freeland said Thursday her two-hour meeting with Netanyahu a day earlier touched on a wide range of pressing global issues, including Canada's own strained relationship with Iran, a country that Israel views as an existential threat. ; The Liberal government pledged during the 2015 federal election to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, but Freeland made clear that isn't going to happen unless the regime allows Maryam Mombeini, an Iranian-Canadian dual citizen, to leave the country. Netanyahu highlighted the Iran discussion as he welcomed Canada's top diplomat on her first Middle East trip, which included stops in Jordan and the West Bank. In fact, you have said that you will not establish international relations with Iran, which ought to be self-evident for a country that openly calls for the destruction of the one and only Jewish state but you have acted on it and we appreciate that. We appreciate your support in various international forums, Netanyahu said in remarks released by his office. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

smear campaigns: The group of over 3,900 volunteers who helped rescue people after bombings say they are politically neutral, according to National Observer. Assad and his backers have engaged in smear campaigns to discredit them, accusing them of being undercover terrorists or agents of foreign powers. The mission to evacuate them from their war-torn country was tough, Hussen said in an interview, but Canada felt compelled to help the members of the civil-defence group after their efforts to save civilians being swept up in Syria's ongoing civil war. ; It was a tough mission, it was a tough ask, but we delivered because we felt that White Helmets had done an exceptional service for humanity and we needed to be there to help them in their time of need, Hussen told The Canadian Press this week. Canada, however, views them as advocates who performed an amazing and brave service on behalf of humanity in the civil war in Syria, Hussen said. Canada was called upon by the international community directly to respond. They not only helped rescue people who were caught in the conflict, they also collected evidence of war crimes, and that is why they were threatened directly by the Assad regime, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show: Rating NNNNThe working title of Janice Jo Lee's in-your-face solo satire was The White Supremacy Smackdown, according to NOW Magazine. While that suggests the fierce attitude of the show's strongest material, the current title, Will You Be My Friend, is a little more accessible, something the writer/performer points out in the show. See listing. The premise is that the Kitchener-based Korean-Canadian singer/songwriter and spoken word artist is looking for new pals. For one thing, Lee's drawn to the same type of straight white male. Her bestie, Leila, has moved away, and dating's not going well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

traditions: But, despite her studies in earlier sounds, the most compelling is her own a fluid, assured m lange of traditions, according to NOW Magazine. Grenades is clean, cool and unhurried. The singer/songwriter, born in Montreal and now based in Toronto, has an uncanny mastery of folk and bluegrass across time and geography, which she demonstrated on earlier releases like 2016's Nine Pin. The opening lap steel mosey of New Colossus, whose title references Emma Lazarus's poem of the same name, is refreshingly restrained, and this restraint might be the defining attribute of Kater's storytelling and songwriting. Her lyrics are subtle and coded, save for a cappella tracks Hydrants You hold me and we get in line / To drink another day like wine and album standout La Mis re, with its bright quartet of vocals exclaiming, Oh, comme elle est grave, la mis re! Kater's light touch is complemented by audio clips of her father speaking about his life in Grenada both pre- and post-U.S. invasion on Power! Power! Power! and Death Of A Dream respectively. The album deals with her father's experiences in Grenada and his subsequent immigration to Canada, while Kater parses her own identity in conversation with this history. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

answer questions: He's no longer a member of the United Conservative party, said Kenney, according to Vancouver Courier. Kenney declined further comment and has not otherwise made himself available to answer questions during the first week of the fall legislature sitting. Kenney walked past reporters waiting to question him Thursday on his way into the legislature chamber.article continues below Trending StoriesPETA calls on Vancouver shoppers to boycott Canada Goose store This Trans Link supervisor held a man from jumping off a Vancouver bridge Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Here's why Vancourier was judged Canada's best community newspaper website He would only say that Adam Strashok is out and reiterated that future party members will be screened to avoid those linked to hateful comments. Earlier this week, Kenney issued a statement saying he had ordered Strashok expelled from the party and he didn't know about Strashok's background when he worked on his campaign in 2017. It's the latest in a series of United Conservative supporters voicing or associating with people expressing hateful and intolerant views. Strashok has not commented on the reports. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

climate disaster: Not just for Vancouver's promised earthquake, but in case of climate disaster, or social upheaval, or imminent invasion, according to National Observer. I fantasize about building the kind of secure, off-the-grid concrete retreat where you could live for a year or a decade, even if the American hordes come pouring across the border with their guns. USpoli Trump Republicans DemocratsI've long obsessed over disaster prep. A nice, solid bunker, suitable for surviving the end of the world. ; And now the end of the world may be just around the corner, in the form of America's midterm elections. A Democratic resurgence could see the Democrats retake the House of Representatives and possibly also the Senate, though that seems exceedingly unlikely . Or a strong Republican turnout could leave both branches of Congress with Republican majorities, meaning that all three branches of government would now be firmly under Republican control thanks to the last two Supreme Court appointments .A solid Republican victory offers the prospect of an emboldened Trump presidency. After all, this election has only a couple of possible outcomes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ahmed hussen: A day earlier Hussen announced new targets that aim to bring immigration to 350,000 by 2021, levels that haven't been hit in more than a century, according to Toronto Star. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen announced new targets that aim to bring immigration to 350,000 by 2021, levels that haven't been hit in more than a century. Ahmed Hussen, speaking Thursday in a television interview with BNN Bloomberg television, said attracting highly skilled newcomers is a central component of the country's long-term prosperity. PATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo That plan makes sure as a country we continue to be a global leader in our ability to attract the best and the brightest and in our ability to attract those who would come and fill unfilled jobs and grow our economy, Hussen said. Economists have described the policy as a form of human stimulus. Trudeau's Liberal government has sought to accelerate immigration levels since coming to power in 2015, a move that has helped drive the fastest pace of population growth in three decades. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: IBD is a group of disorders that causes parts of the gastrointestinal tract to become severely inflamed and develop ulcers, according to CTV. The symptoms of these lifelong diseases can be debilitating and may include intense abdominal pain, internal bleeding, fatigue, vomiting, and frequent trips to the washroom. Crohn's and Colitis Canada released the findings of a multi-year report on the impact of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis the main two forms of IBD in Canada on Thursday. There are 270,000 Canadians currently living with the disease 135,000 with Crohn's disease, 120,000 with ulcerative colitis, and 15,000 with unclassified IBD, according to the organization. We're raising the alarm and telling the government that these are diseases that are on the rise and we need to start thinking about them now and be in front of them. By 2030, that number is expected to rise by 50 per cent and approximately 400,000 Canadians, or 1 per cent of the population, will be diagnosed with IBD. In 2018, the cost of caring for people with IBD was around 2.5 billion and as there are more people living with these diseases, these costs are going to increase significantly, Mina Mawani, the president and CEO of Crohn's and Colitis Canada, told CTVNews.ca on Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fort myers: The president continued the grievance airing that has long been a fixture of his rallies, seizing on news reports about protests during his Tuesday visit to Pittsburgh, where he paid his respects to the 11 people killed at a synagogue in the worst anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, according to CTV. He said any protests there were small and far away from him, and he called reporting to the contrary fake and make-believe. Trump's rally in Estero, just outside Fort Myers, was the first of 11 events he will hold across eight battlefield states over the next six days as he tries to bolster Republican turnout and counter Democratic enthusiasm heading into Election Day, which will determine whether the GOP retains control of Congress. A small group of protesters was within earshot of Trump outside the synagogue, and hundreds more were kept blocks away by police. The left-wing media doesn't want to solve problems. Some community leaders had asked Trump not to make the trip. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship ceremonies: Besides giving workers the right to personal days off, the federal government is also proposing that workers become eligible for general holiday pay, sick leave, maternity leave and parental leave from Day 1 on the job, according to Toronto Star. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS The federal legislation, if passed, would let workers take up to five days off each calendar year for reasons such as the care of relatives, children's educations, or to attend their own citizenship ceremonies. The change is part of a sweeping set of proposed Canada Labour Code amendments put forward this week by the federal Liberals in their 850-page budget bill. Three of the days off would be with pay for workers who have had their jobs at least three straight months. The new federal bill arrives while the Ontario legislature is working through a bill to repeal similar reforms brought in by the Liberals Ford defeated last spring. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have already battled over carbon taxes and immigration and refugee settlement programs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

film birth: The book said Griffith's cutting-edge cinema technology drew massive crowds, but stayed silent on the film's plot, according to Toronto Star. When I asked my teacher and classmates if they knew which Nation was born in the film, they were all clueless. Our textbook mentioned D.W. Griffith's seminal film Birth of a Nation, describing its immense popularity in Canadian cities in 1915. Thinking critically means recognizing you can't take a 58-year-old novel set in Alabama To Kill a Mockingbird and superimpose its two-dimensional depiction of racism on the multi-ethnic classrooms that abound in the GTA, writes Morgan Campbell. Griffith portrayed them as heroes for lynching African-Americans in the post-bellum South, who, without slavery to keep them civilized, had gone feral. Laura Cavanaugh / GETTY IMAGES So I explained that Nation mean the Ku Klux Klan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people trump: In the past week alone, a fanatic Trump supporter stands accused of mailing 12 pipe bombs to people Trump frequently criticizes, including the Obamas and the Clintons, as well as three bombs to CNN; two African-Americans were murdered by a white supremacist outside Louisville, Kentucky, after he unsuccessfully tried to enter a predominantly African-American church; and 11 Jewish worshippers were massacred in a Pittsburgh synagogue by a white supremacist who railed on social media against Jews who help refugees, or invaders, as he and Trump call them, according to Rabble. Whether he owns it or not, these horrors are a culmination of an increasingly hate-filled campaign season, led by the president himself as he lashes out at women, immigrants and people of colour at rallies around the country. The potential Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives, and potentially the Senate, has energized voters hoping for a blue wave, while Trump and Republican efforts to motivate their base have unleashed a torrent of white supremacist vitriol that is without precedent in recent years. But there also is a surge of women and people of colour running for office. In Florida, a remarkable citizen initiative is poised to succeed, which will restore the right to vote to over 1.4 million Floridians -- people previously convicted of felonies. The question now is, who will come out to vote -- and, critically, who will be denied the right to vote -- in these midterm elections Republican efforts to purge voter rolls of likely Democratic voters have sparked a national movement to ensure the right to vote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

point hussen: Justin Trudeau has no credibility to set Canada's immigration levels, she said Thursday at a news conference, according to CTV. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen announced on Wednesday that Canada will increase its immigration target to 350,000 by 2021, up from the current level of 310,000. The number is not the point, according to Michelle Rempel. Hussen told CTV's Power Play on Thursday that the plan is responsible and ambitious and focuses on bringing in highly-skilled talent that creates middle class jobs for our country. Hussen added that the Federal Skilled Workers program, which offers residency to people like international students who find work, makes up the single biggest component of immigration. Canadians are asking us to provide them with more workers, more skilled immigrants who can grow our economy and create good-quality, full-time middle class jobs, Hussen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

market: The target rises annually from 310,000 this year, counting all classes of new arrivals, according to National Observer. The vast majority of these newcomers are coming under economic programs designed to address skills shortages and gaps in the labour market. The target for new arrivals in Canada will rise to 350,000, which is nearly one per cent of the country's population. ; The figures were announced Wednesday as part of government's updated multi-year immigration levels plan, which covers the next three years. Hussen says economic immigration is badly needed in areas across the country that are short on workers and long on older residents. This plan is making us very competitive in the global market. In certain regions the hunger for workers is huge, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

goodale: This would mean an increase of 35 per cent from what's been normal over the last two years. ; Goodale said Wednesday that the CBSA has been given 7.46 million more to ensure that all asylum seekers who have exhausted their legal avenues of appeal are removed from the country, according to National Observer. We've indicated that we have to pick up the pace in terms of that activity. The CBSA has set a new target of completing 10,000 removals by the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year in March. We've provided some extra resources for CBSA to do the work that's necessary, Goodale said. When a person has been found to be ineligible to be in Canada and they have exhausted all avenues of appeal then they become subject to removal and CBSA is obliged to remove people as rapidly as possible when they fall into that situation and they do that job quite literally every day. The law is clear. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

iron fist: With Arrow and The Flash content to dig ever deeper into their master plots of moral corruption and tangled speedster bloodlines, and Black Lightning still trying to figure out what sort of show it wants to be, Supergirl and Legends Of Tomorrow have gotten political, according to NOW Magazine. In its fourth season, Supergirl which airs Sundays at 8 pm on Showcase and streams on showcase.ca has decided to wade head-on into the polarized state of Donald Trump's America. The recent cancellations of Iron Fist and Luke Cage have kept this column focused on the Marvel side of pop culture, but now that the new broadcast season is underway in earnest, all the DC shows have returned and a couple of them are really worth talking about. Trump himself isn't around; instead, the alt-right of this alternate Earth has organized itself over a different sort of alien immigration the revelation that extraterrestrials live and work among humans. Supergirl has long flirted with political commentary. The metaphor's a little clunky, but the bigotry and xenophobia is the same people fear what they don't understand, and Supergirl played by Melissa Benoist who is determined to see the good in people and work to encourage them to be their best selves has been slow to see the poison seeping into the discourse. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jamaica: In December that year, the Ontario Superior Court ruled against Brown, finding his rights hadn't been violated and saying he had received adequate medical care while in custody, according to Vancouver Courier. The judge said the detention was warranted given Brown's history, and blamed Jamaican authorities for much of the delay in deporting him. Alvin Brown arrived in Canada from Jamaica in 1983 as a child and became a permanent resident, but the government revoked his residency status in 2005 and ordered him to leave following a string of convictions, some for violent offences.article continues below Trending StoriesPETA calls on Vancouver shoppers to boycott Canada Goose store This Trans Link supervisor held a man from jumping off a Vancouver bridge Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Here's why Vancourier was judged Canada's best community newspaper website The Canada Border Services Agency took him into custody in early 2011 and his detention was renewed regularly until his September 2016 deportation. The decision was upheld on appeal earlier this year and, as usual, the Supreme Court gave no reason for refusing to hear the case. Read Related Topics var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul 2018 Vancouver Courier (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver shoppers: His snarling, expletive-filled rant about killing police officers appeared in a little-noticed January 2018 Trump campaign ad, according to Vancouver Courier. Now, Luis Bracamontes' menacing smile has abruptly taken a central role in Trump's closing midterm election argument about immigration as the president tweeted out a video of the Latino man's courtroom appearance in what was immediately denounced by some Democrats and Republicans as a racist campaign tactic.article continues below Trending StoriesPETA calls on Vancouver shoppers to boycott Canada Goose store How to get a free reusable festive red cup at Starbucks Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Bracamontes, an immigrant living in the country illegally, sports a shaved head and long chin hair and speaks in accented English in the video, and his words are clear He's killed cops and he's gonna kill more cops soon. The conservative Breitbart News faithfully chronicled his conviction and death sentence. The video which Trump tweeted late Wednesday, alleges without evidence that Democrats were responsible for allowing Bracamontes into the U.S. It comes amid a frenzy of hardline immigration proposals pushed out by Trump in the final stages of the campaign, including sending troops to the border and revoking birthright citizenship. The 53-second video includes expletives uttered by Bracamontes during his trial as he professed regret at not killing more officers. Bracamontes, a twice-deported immigrant from Mexico, was sentenced to death in California for the 2014 killings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.