Voies vers la prospérité: Canada

As Canadians, we need to address mental-health issues of newcomers to Canada. In Canada, 20 per cent of us will experience a mental disorder. For newcomers and immigrants, there are additional issues that may mean mental-health issues will worsen. Trauma and the stress of moving to another country could mean the rates of mental-health problems can increase. Imagine being an immigrant or refugee and trying to adjust to a new country. Or trying to find housing and employment while fending off racism. Or dealing with barriers that prevent you from playing a meaningful role in society. Or possibly trying to deal with trauma experienced in your country of origin. The rate of mental-health problems is bound to increase. […] Now imagine if we ignore the mental-health care of new Canadians — individuals we hope will contribute to our economy in the future. According to research, ignoring a clear and diagnosable mental illness means the problem is likely to get worse. If we address these concerns earlier, providing access to psychologists and other mental-health professionals, we reduce the cost to each and every one of us as taxpayers.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/pay-now-or-pay-later-for-mental-health-294962261.html

Embauche Immigrants Ottawa (EIO) et le Conseil des employeurs champions (CEC) ont décerné mercredi matin leurs Prix employeurs d’excellence lors du Sommet du Conseil des employeurs champions de 2015. Depuis 2007, des entreprises voient leurs efforts à intégrer les immigrants être soulignés par le EIO et le CEC. Cette année, la Banque de développement du Canada, Epocal, le Centre de santé communautaire Pinecrest-Queensway et Ottawa Catholic School Board étaient sous les projecteurs. Les lauréats des Prix employeurs d’excellence ont à leur façon aidé des immigrants qualifiés à se dénicher un emploi ou ont installé un environnement de travail multiculturel, tout en faisant rouler l’économie tant locale que provinciale.

http://www.expressottawa.ca/Actualites/Societe/2015-03-04/article-4065350/Des-employeurs-recompenses-pour-lembauche-dimmigrants/1

Every frigid winter Monday for the past five years, a group of refugee children kids from around the world have been learning to lace up and hit the ice at Central Park in Winnipeg. […] The New Lease on Ice program is offered through the Immigrant Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM). Jen Glenwright, a hockey program coordinator with the group,​ teaches newcomers aged six to 12 the hockey fundamentals. They believe this is an important sport to Canadians and is a fun way for kids new to Canada to feel involved and fit in. […] The program has doubled in the past five years from just 15 kids to more than 30. […] IRCOM provides a variety of services and housing to new immigrants and their families. Some of the services they provide include: financial education, language classes and extensive after-school programs for children and youth. They also assist members with employment, education, and health resources.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-hockey-program-teaches-immigrant-kids-how-to-skate-1.2979351

A Toronto lawyer who represented hundreds of Roma Hungarian refugees has admitted to professional misconduct for failing to adequately prepare some of his clients’ claims for asylum. At a disciplinary hearing Monday, Viktor Hohots filed an agreed statement of facts with a Law Society of Upper Canada panel relating to allegations made by 13 complainants, all Roma refugees from Hungary, between August 2009 and February 2012. Hohots “failed to assume complete professional responsibility for his practice and that he failed to directly and effectively supervise the non-lawyer staff of his law office to whom he delegated the preparation of refugee claims,” he said in his submission. Supporters of the complainants — most who were denied asylum and been deported — hope Immigration Minister Chris Alexander can reopen their files, given Hohots’ admission. They include a Roma family who sought sanctuary in a Toronto church for three years, hoping their claim would finally be accepted.

http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2015/03/02/lawyer-admits-to-negligence-representing-roma-refugees.html

Immigrants and refugees who come to Canada later in life face unique challenges in terms of income, livelihood and social integration, said Chris Friesen, director of settlement services for the Immigrant Services Society of B.C. The problems are especially acute for seniors who are not from one of the region’s larger ethnocultural communities, such as Chinese, Indian or Filipino, where larger social networks are in place. They represent a small but growing share of immigrants to B.C. and Canada, Friesen said. […] Recent policy changes have made things more difficult for immigrant seniors, who typically come to Canada either as sponsored family members or refugees, Friesen said. Citizenship and Immigration Canada recently increased the amount of time families must commit to financially supporting relatives to 20 years from 10 years, which means that only the wealthiest families are able to be reunited on a permanent basis. On the refugee side, Canada now selects people based on need of protection versus ability to settle.
http://www.timescolonist.com/life/older-immigrants-face-financial-communication-challenges-1.1778833

Pour le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, l’équation est simple, il faut faciliter l’arrivée d’immigrants francophones au Canada pour assurer la pérennité des communautés francophones et il compte y arriver grâce à ce nouvel outil dont s’est doté son gouvernement: Entrée express. Chris Alexander était attendu hier, à la 9ième Journée de réflexion sur l’immigration francophone, présentée par la Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes (FCFA) du Canada, pour discuter d’Entrée express, le nouveau-né du gouvernement fédéral en matière d’immigration. Un outil électronique qui vise à faciliter et à accélérer les processus de demande. Pour M. Alexander, l’immigration francophone est un des meilleurs moyens de « préserver le caractère bilingue » du Canada.

http://www.expressottawa.ca/Actualites/2015-03-02/article-4062667/Limmigration-francophone-comme-catalyseur-%3F/1