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Articles on Canadian immigration system

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A Sudanese refugee carries her son as they arrive in Jeddah port, Saudi Arabia, in May 2023. Sudan has been torn by civil war for more than a year, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Canada’s family-based immigration program for Sudanese fleeing war is too little, too late

By capping immigration applications from Sudanese people fleeing the civil war at 3,250, and limiting eligibility to Sudanese with family in Canada, the federal government is leaving millions behind.
Hanadi Alashi points to Palestinian family members in a photo at her home in Ottawa on Dec. 1, 2023. Alashi is one of many Canadians who have applied for family members to come to Canada under a special extended family visa program created in response to the conflict in Gaza. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Asylum seekers from Gaza and Sudan face prejudiced policies and bureaucratic hurdles

Refugee programs in Canada have always been politicized, but more so in recent years, evidenced in discrepancies between programs for refugees from Gaza and Sudan and those from Ukraine.
People line up to take part in a Canada Day citizenship ceremony before the start of a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox in Toronto on Canada Day, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

What’s behind the dramatic shift in Canadian public opinion about immigration levels?

The number of Canadians who believe there is too much immigration to Canada rose sharply in 2023. Why have public opinions changed so much in the last year?
The peace arch monument on the Canadian side of the Canada-U.S. border crossing, in Surrey, B.C. Several provinces will no longer allow the CBSA to detain immigrants in provincial jails. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Immigration detention continues in Canada despite the end of provincial agreements

Several Canadian provinces are terminating their immigration detention agreements with the CBSA. While that signals a move in the right direction, the federal government must also take action.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino holds a press conference in Ottawa in November 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada needs to build more affordable housing for newcomers

Addressing the housing issue by adopting a human right framework put Canada on an accelerated path to meet newcomer families’ housing needs.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Fury personally greets Angelika, the first Ukrainian refugee off the plane at St. John’s, NL, on May 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Greg Locke

Canada needs to be as welcoming to Afghan refugees as it is to Ukrainians

The disparate treatment of Ukrainians compared with other refugees to Canada suggests to some an unfairness in our immigration process at best — and systemic racism at worst.
A Haitian family poses for a photograph after after taking the oath of citizenship on Parliament Hill in 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Settlement services need to improve their online offerings for tech-savvy newcomers

Newcomers need settlement services to learn about life in Canada. Settlement agencies need to use online channels and communicate existing online services to help newcomers before they arrive.
Newly arrived refugee children learn how to skate from Ottawa Senators staff in Ottawa in March 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

What Joe Biden can learn from Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program

Joe Biden’s efforts to increase refugee resettlement could boost the number of stakeholders actively involved. But Canada’s experiences with private sponsorship contain lessons for the U.S.

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