News

Latest news happening in the settlement sector of Ontario.

Here we post new publications (studies, reports), government notices and more.

Turkish diaspora urges Canada to expedite immigration of families hit by earthquake

Irem Koca The Star Tue., Feb. 14, 2023

OTTAWA Turkish Canadians are calling on Ottawa to expedite the visa applications of family stranded in Turkey, after the devastating earthquakes.

An online petition signed by more than 7,800 people asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a two-tiered approach to resettle Turkish citizens in Canada.

Percentage of permanent residents becoming Canadian citizens in decline: StatCan data

Christian Collington The Canadian Press Feb. 15, 2023

StatCan numbers reveal the percentage of permanent residents who become Canadians has plummeted over the past 20 years.

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship says Statistics Canada data points to a 40 per cent decline in citizenship uptake since 2001.

The group's CEO, Daniel Bernhard, calls the drop alarming and says it should serve as a "wake up call" to improving the experience newcomers have in Canada.

Roxham Road: 300 Migrants Redirected Elsewhere in Canada: Quebec Says

The Canadian Press Tuesday, February 14th 2023

Nearly 400 migrants who passed through Roxham Road on Saturday and Sunday were redirected to other Canadian provinces, Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette said Tuesday.

"We are starting to see results," she said in a press scrum. "We're very happy with that, we hope it will continue over time and that this will be the new approach to border management."

Kept apart for years, Iranian couples decry Canada's heartbreaking immigration delays

Priscilla Ki Sun Hwang · CBC News · Posted: Feb 13, 2023

One spouse in Canada, the other overseas — for years.

For a group of Iranian nationals, the wait to live with — let alone hug and kiss — their partners has been painfully long as they wait years for Canada to process their permanent residency (PR) applications. 

Asylum seekers using well-organized system for crossing irregularly into Canada

Marisela Amador City News The Canadian Press

Moments after a Greyhound bus from New York City pulls into a gas station bus stop in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Friday at 5:25 a.m., several minivan taxis swarm the vehicle. 

About a dozen passengers descend from the bus — mostly single men, but also several couples and a family with three young daughters. They are greeted by four pushy taxi drivers.

Grassroots organization seeking local housing supports for Ukrainian families

Brent Cater City News February 13 2023

It's been nearly a year since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine - and the number of refugee families fleeing the fighting has continued to grow. 

Finding homes for these families has become increasingly challenging as hundreds look to find safety in Canada and locally in Waterloo Region. 

Expanding immigration will not erase racism in Canadian society

Themrise Khan Policy Options February 13, 2023

In its latest immigration plan, the federal government says it hopes to welcome almost 1.5 million new permanent residents between 2023 and 2025, up from approximately one million in the immigration targets for 2020-22. The economic benefits of increased immigration aside, there remains a major elephant in the room that Canada is still not ready to address – racism and discrimination against “visible minorities” – code for non-white immigrants.

Prairies stand to benefit the most from boost to immigration target: report

Nojoud Al Mallees The Canadian Press Feb. 8, 2023

A new Desjardins report suggests Canada's immigration target increase could spur economic growth, with the Prairies standing to benefit the most.

Principal economist Marc Desormeaux says his analysis finds Canada's plan to increase immigration could boost gross domestic product per capita if newcomers continue to have the same success getting work that they've enjoyed recently.