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 — Federal agencies fumble privacy safeguards on asylum system revamp, risking refugee data
Three government agencies that partnered on a $68-million project to revamp Canada’s asylum system failed to complete mandatory privacy safeguard tests for years while the project was being implemented, CBC News has learned. The lack of privacy protections raises “red flags,” lawyers say, and may have put refugee claimants’ data and applications at risk. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) worked together on the “asylum interoperability project,” which would transform the asylum system into a more efficient digital one and address the ever-growing backlog of pending asylum applications, which currently sits at more than 290,000.
The Guardian — LGBTQ+ Americans consider move to Canada to escape Trump: ‘I’m afraid of living here’
The number of LGBTQ+ Americans inquiring about moving to Canada has soared since Donald Trump’s re-election, campaigners have said, as people across the US wrestle with the fallout of rising anti-gay rhetoric, anti-trans executive orders, and the more than 600 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights. “So much is happening in the US right now and a lot of it is terrifying,” said Latoya Nugent of Rainbow Railroad, a North American charity that helps LGBTQI+ individuals escape violence and persecution in their home countries. In the first eight months of this year, the organisation has received 4,197 calls from people living in the US – a surge of 760% compared with the same period last year.
CBC News — Moe says Canada should focus on economic immigration, as some leaders call for end to temporary foreign worker program
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada needs an immigration system focused on economic migration. His comments come after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on the federal government to scrap the temporary foreign worker program. Poilievre said the program has flooded the market with cheap labour and made it harder for young Canadians to find work. B.C. Premier David Eby also called for the program to be “cancelled or significantly reformed” Thursday afternoon, blaming Ottawa’s flawed immigration policies for filling up homeless shelters and food banks.
CBC News — Are temporary foreign workers taking young Canadians’ jobs? Here’s what experts think
As some federal and provincial politicians argue that Canada’s temporary foreign worker program is stopping young Canadians from finding good-paying jobs, some experts say migrant workers aren’t to blame and that other immigration streams could be the problem. Earlier this week, both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and B.C. Premier David Eby demanded Ottawa scrap or reform the temporary foreign worker program, claiming it was shutting young people out of jobs and driving down wages.
City News — B.C. industry leaders react to calls to scrap temporary foreign worker program
Industry leaders are speaking out in response to B.C. Premier David Eby’s comments earlier this week calling for the cancellation or reform of the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program. On Thursday, Eby and federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre both suggested axing the program, linking it to youth unemployment and other issues. Eby attributed B.C.’s 12 per cent youth unemployment rate to immigration programs such as international student visas and TFWs, but many in the hospitality sector say the province is misinformed.
Le Droit — « Chute importante » des étudiants étrangers à l’UQO
La rentrée universitaire s’effectue cette semaine dans un contexte où le nombre d’étudiants étrangers est en décroissance, impact direct de l’imposition de nouveaux quotas par Québec et Ottawa. La rentrée universitaire s’effectue cette semaine dans un contexte où le nombre d’étudiants étrangers est en décroissance, impact direct de l’imposition de nouveaux quotas par Québec et Ottawa. Les étudiants étaient inscrits à un total équivalent à 76 500 crédits en date de mardi, contre 70 000 à pareille date en septembre dernier. En d’autres mots, les étudiants sont inscrits à plus de cours cet automne.
