The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
CBC News — Refugee groups uneasy over decision to nix newcomer centres
After months of fighting for tent-like reception centres to house asylum seekers in Ottawa, Camille Kamanzi says he’s filled with disappointment. “The city just let us down,” said Kamanzi, executive director of Burundi We Want Ottawa. On March 12, the City of Ottawa announced it was cancelling plans to move forward with the controversial centres — one near the Nepean Sportsplex, and a second in Kanata if it was needed. Their purpose was to be a one-stop shop for resettlement services. Newcomers would receive housing, food and social support for 90 days until they got a more permanent solution. The plan was created in response to an influx of unhoused refugee claimants, one that forced the city to shelter people in municipal recreation centres.
CBC News — Finding community key for immigrants with Canadian dreams, new Manitobans say
Rebecca Ruvando used to spend her days in Zimbabwe dreaming of one day emigrating to Canada. When the 37-year-old spoke to people about the country, they described it as the land of hope and happiness. Listening to them, Ruvando would imagine what life on the other side of the world was like, fantasizing about the day she could move. In summer 2023, Ruvando decided to leave her two small children and husband and migrate to Canada for school. It was a difficult decision, but she was confident her choice would lead to a brighter future for her and her family. And because of the country’s diverse population, Ruvando expected Canadians to be open to newcomers.
CBC News — Trump administration accused of defying court orders in separate deportation cases
The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday temporarily blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.
The Economic Times — Canada eases PGWP rules, removes field-of-study requirement for college graduates
Canada has revised its requirements so that international students in degree programmes delivered by its colleges will now no longer have to meet a field-of-study requirement to be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). That requirement had been put in place in 2024 for Canadian colleges but not universities, and it was part of an effort by the Canadian government to apply heavier scrutiny to the international education sector, as per an ICEF Monitor report. The revised wording on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website clarifies that once again, students graduating from all Canadian bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes – whether from universities or colleges – are eligible for the PGWP if they meet language requirements.
CBC News — Temporary foreign workers will still be at risk after new P.E.I. safeguards take effect, advocate says
P.E.I.’s Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, which was passed nearly three years ago, will finally take effect next month, but advocates say the legislation doesn’t go far enough to address the systemic injustices faced by this vulnerable population. Starting April 1, the first phase of the act will introduce new regulations for people who recruit foreign workers, requiring them to be licensed. The act will also prohibit recruiters from charging foreign workers fees for recruitment services and ban practices such as providing false or misleading information or withholding workers’ official documents, including passports.
Statics Canada — Socioeconomic outcomes of immigrants admitted to Canada as children, 2023
About 2 million children, aged 14 or younger, immigrated to Canada during the period from 1980 to 2023, accounting for approximately 20% of those admitted to Canada during this period. Their long-term socioeconomic outcomes, such as education attainment and wages, are important aspects for understanding their integration in Canadian society and their contributions to Canada’s economy and society over time. This release finds that, in 2022, immigrant children admitted to Canada at younger ages and those admitted as dependents of economic immigrants were more likely to pursue postsecondary education and had higher median income as young adults. These findings are based on data from the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) Children Data Module.
