Voies vers la prospérité: Canada

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said he expects just 10 to 15 per cent of the immigrants who arrive in Canada this year will have been selected via the new Express Entry application system, a mechanism designed to choose immigrants more quickly to better meet the needs of the labour market. But he expects that figure will rise sharply by 2016. Since the system’s launch on Jan. 1, Canada has invited 6,851 prospective economic immigrants in the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residency in various categories, from federal skilled workers to skilled trades people and those, including students, in the Canadian Experience Class. The Conservative government pledged to accept up to 280,000 immigrants this year, but the vast majority will be selected under the old system as Canada transitions to Express Entry. […] Mr. Alexander said he doesn’t expect the new system to significantly alter the mix of Canada’s immigration source countries. India, China and the Philippines remain the largest sources for applications.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/slow-start-for-express-entry-but-new-immigration-system-to-pick-up/article23887404/

Deux hommes qui sont allés travailler au Yukon dans le cadre du Programme territorial de candidature à l’immigration (PTCI), affirment avoir été victimes de discrimination de la part de leur employeur, un restaurateur de Whitehorse. Byung Wook Jun et Geongyo Hong sont sud-coréens et ont tous deux été embauchés pour travailler au Airport Chalet, un restaurant achalandé de la route de l’Alaska. Ils affirment avoir été victimes de discrimination et forcés de travailler plus fort que leurs collègues canadiens, avant d’être injustement congédiés. « Je crois que c’est lié à mon homosexualité », a déclaré Byung Wook Jun. Il a déposé une plainte pour atteinte aux droits de la personne et discrimination en raison de l’orientation sexuelle. La Commission des droits de la personne du Yukon a ouvert une enquête. M. Jun a été congédié de son poste de serveur. […] Pour sa part, Geongyo Hong était chef cuisinier pour le restaurant. Il soutient que M. Jun et lui travaillaient des centaines d’heures supplémentaires qui étaient payées comme des heures à temps normal, en argent comptant. […] La fédération des travailleurs du Yukon (YFL) soutient que le système se prête aux abus. « Vous avez un programme qui donne le pouvoir aux employeurs de gérer l’immigration », soutient la présidente de la YFL, Vikki Quocksister. « Vous créez ainsi un environnement de travail où règne la peur. »

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/colombie-britannique/2015/04/09/002-travailleurs-etrangers-airport-chalet-discrimination-whitehorse-restaurant.shtml

Extrait de la présentation devant le Comité permanent des langues officielles de la Chambre des communes, le 26 mars 2015.) (…) Pendant qu’on fait étude après étude sur les défis de l’immigration francophone, année après année, on fait entrer au Canada, à l’extérieur du Québec, plus de 98 % d’immigrants anglophones comparativement à moins de 2 % d’immigrants francophones. C’est, à tout le moins, ce que disent les chiffres de Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada. Malgré les cibles, malgré les engagements, malgré les multiples recommandations des comités parlementaires, c’est une constante depuis 20 ans. Quatre-vingt-dix-huit pour cent d’immigrants de langue anglaise, et 2 % de langue française. C’est un scandale. La population francophone a beau augmenter en nombres absolus; avec des proportions comme celles-là, notre poids relatif ne cesse de diminuer. À plusieurs endroits, ce n’est qu’une question de temps avant que nos communautés tombent en dessous du seuil minimum requis pour recevoir des services et des communications en français des bureaux fédéraux.

http://www.acadienouvelle.com/mon-opinion/2015/04/09/limmigration-francophone-un-scandale/?pgnc=1

While immigration lawyers and labour market experts are predicting the mass exodus of thousands of temporary foreign workers (TFW) from Canada over the coming weeks, it appears the majority of Whistler’s foreign employees are staying put. Temporary workers who have been working in the country since April 1, 2011, saw their four-year visas expire last week, unless they were given a one-year reprieve. […] But in Whistler, where employers rely more heavily on TFWs to fill seasonal staff shortages, a mass departure is not expected. “It won’t impact Whistler because you have the international mobility programs that are keeping people here, and the four-year rule doesn’t apply,” explained Whistler Immigration director Paul Girodo. Also at play for Whistler is the fact that the time limit only applies to those who have been employed for 48 months since 2011. Considering the seasonal nature of Whistler’s labour needs, it could take years for temporary foreign workers to amass that much employment time.

http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/exodus-of-foreign-workers-not-expected-to-hit-whistler/Content?oid=2644282

Over the past several years the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program has been a boon to many Estevan businesses with employers trying to navigate a labour shortage in a booming economy. The program has allowed many businesses to fill vacant employment spots. Though there have been a number of changes to the program, businesses have been managing, since these changes took place about a year ago. Though the April 1 deadline has passed, that would have deported low-skilled TFW if they had been working for four years and hadn’t filed for permanent residency, Estevan Chamber of Commerce economic development officer Manpreet Sangha, said she isn’t aware of anyone in Estevan who had to leave. “The people I know, I’m glad most of them have applied for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, so I haven’t met anybody who has to leave the country,” said Sangha. She said she frequented some stores who have temporary foreign workers, and after speaking to the employees found they had all applied to the SINP.

http://www.estevanmercury.ca/news/business-energy/businesses-continue-work-under-new-temporary-foreign-worker-regulations-1.1816492

A federal judge has wrongly prevented “common-sense policies” from taking effect by blocking President Barack Obama’s executive action that seeks to shield millions of immigrants from deportation, and the federal government plans to continue its fight in a higher court, the White House said Wednesday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the policies are in the best interest of the economy and supported by businesses, faith leaders and local law enforcement across the country, “including in some communities that are located in pretty red states.” U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen refused late Tuesday night to lift a temporary hold he imposed on the president’s policies in February after 26 states — led by Texas — filed a lawsuit challenging the changes. […] That means the Obama administration is still temporarily barred from implementing policies that would allow as many as five million people to remain in the U.S. even though they live in the country illegally.

http://news.yahoo.com/judge-denies-request-let-immigration-action-effect-072907248.html