Immigrants & Refugees News Feed | PovNet - Building Online Community

Mexico honours Edward Kennedy

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0700

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico has awarded U.S. Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy the country's highest honour for his work defending the rights of immigrants during his decades in Congress. The Mexican government said in its official gazette it presented the "Aztec Eagle" honour to Kennedy in Washington on Friday. The veteran Massachusetts senator fought for an immigration reform bill in the U.S. Congress that failed to pass.

Immigrants doing well in B.C.: Study

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0700

Immigrants in B.C. with Canadian degrees find jobs more easily here than in other provinces, a new study says.

Degree no ticket to job for immigrants

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:45:40 -0700

Having a university degree may give immigrants an edge to get into Canada, but once here they're less likely to find jobs than those with degrees who are born here. "It's really, really hard," Winnipeg family doctor Jay Buenafe, who immigrated from the Philippines in 2002, said Friday.

Asian immigrants lag in Canadian labour market integration: StatsCan

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:02:16 -0700

A study by Statistics Canada released Friday shows that employment for recent immigrants who received their university education in Asia lags behind Canadian-born university graduates by 25.2 percentage points.

Building a Win-Win Immigration Platform & Creating Multiracial Alliances

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:35:19 -0700

The Equal Justice Society’s “Building a Win-Win Immigration Platform & Creating Multiracial/ethnic Alliances” conference is on Saturday, July 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Preservation Park, 1233 Preservation Park WA, Oakland, Calif.

The conference seeks to develop a new approach to immigrants’ rights advocacy and will feature remarks by Roberto Lovato of New America Media, Alan Jenkins of The Opportunity Agenda, Mina Titi Liu of the Asian Law Caucus, Vincent Pan of Chinese for Affirmative Action, Nunu Kidane of the Priority Africa Network, and Evelyn Sanchez of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Supporting organizations include Black Alliance for Just Immigration and La Raza Centro Legal.

For more information on the conference, contact Miguel Gavaldón of the Equal Justice Society at 415-288-8700 or visit http://immigration.equaljusticesociety.net.

New immigrants with degrees have lower employment rate: StatsCan

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:15:10 -0700

As immigrants integrate into the Canadian labour market, many initially face difficulties finding employment.

New immigrants with degrees have lower employment rate: StatsCan

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:15:10 -0700

As immigrants integrate into the Canadian labour market, many initially face difficulties finding employment.

New immigrants with degrees have lower employment rate: StatsCan

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:15:10 -0700

As immigrants integrate into the Canadian labour market, many initially face difficulties finding employment.

HIV-positive immigrants fall through cracks: Study

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:30:00 -0700

Immigrants with HIV account for a large portion of new infections of the disease in Canada and they're slipping between the health-care cracks, a report warns.

Darfur Investigator Finds Refugees' Voices In Tune with Sudan ... - Voice of America

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:01:17 -0700

World2008-07-18T07:07:08Z2008-07-18T07:07:08Z

Illegal immigrants entered UK on army convoy

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:34:31 -0700

Illegal immigrants arrested after hiding in a convoy returning from Kosovo

Stop deportation of war deserters

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:30:00 -0700

Canada has long opened its doors to refugees from violence and oppression in far-off lands. But what about deserters from the armed forces of our neighbour, the United States? Surely, it is said, we should draw the line there, no matter how much we might disagree with the American war effort in Iraq.

Commentary about immigrants not out of line, broadcasters say

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0700

VANCOUVER -- Radio broadcaster Bruce Allen did not violate the human rights clause of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' code of ethics in a controversial commentary about immigrants aired last September on radio station CKNW, the association said yesterday.

No violation by Bruce Allen, broadcast group says

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0700

VANCOUVER - Radio broadcaster Bruce Allen did not violate the human rights clause of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' code of ethics in a controversial commentary about immigrants aired last September on radio station CKNW, the association said Wednesday.

Stories on the Border

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:33:56 -0700

h/t Immigration Prof

A group of filmmakers recently took a trip along the U.S/Mexico border collecting stories to create a series of short films documenting life on both sides of the border. The videos are available borderstories.org

The stories are geographically organized (from Brownsville to Tijuana). We crisscrossed the border the entire way. We went into people's backyards and asked them how the border is affecting them. We wanted to humanize the issue. Our notion is that by traversing the entire border and sharing voices and then presenting them in one place, people can begin to see how dynamic and complex the region is. The mainstream media is driven by pundit analysis. This is an opportunity to see where there's some common ground or empathy for the other side.
They all have resonance, and each story is different. I do think what we did in Arizona was incredibly fascinating. In Arizona, we did five stories: two on the Mexico side, and three on the U.S. side. We talked to the founder of (Humane Borders). The organization was able to solicit funding from (Pima County) based on a cost-benefit analysis; they found that it was cheaper to provide water (for immigrants) than to remove their dead bodies. We juxtaposed that with a story about the Border Patrol. They were both American viewpoints about the same subject, and yet they're totally different. The Arizona stories capture how politicized the border is. [Tucson Weekly]

Scott Stringer protects white part of downtown NYC; Feds arrest immigrants in RI courthouse raids

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:30:10 -0700

ICE Raids Providence Courthouses
Dozens were arrested yesterday in several raids across six Providence courthouses. Since RI Governor Don Carcieri issued an executive order cracking down on illegal immigration in the state, protest has sparked an intense debate about immigration reform, as well as other state entities' roles. A spokesperson claims that those detained were not state employees; rather, they "worked for two cleaning and maintenance contractors hired by the state." The spokesperson did not elaborate on the RI judiciary's responsibility to the detained nor on their own screening and hiring practices. The Providence Journal.

Downtown Manhattan Rezoning Plan Protects Predominately White Nabes
In a plan recently approved by Community Board 3, seventy-three percent of the white residences on the east side of Manhattan below 14th Street will be protected from development. The remaining area, which is majority Asian and Latino, will be left open to the constant push for more luxury condos. The Coalition to Preserve the Lower East Side staged a trilingual press conference yesterday outside Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office, claiming the plan has not received sufficient community review. This latest blow comes in a long history of re-zoning betrayals for Manhattan's Chinatown, which according to Hunter College professor Tom Agnotti, "is getting squeezed on all sides." The Village Voice

Bush's attempt to Veto Medicare Bill Futile
The new Medicare measure became the fourth bill to become legislation despite the President's rejection, as it passed through the House and Senate yesterday. Bush called the bill "fiscally irresponsible," even as he relented that he also opposed it due to the effect it would have on large privately-owned insurers like Humana and BlueShield. The new legislation cancels a ten percent cut in doctor's payments, stalling the further disintegration of the state medical system. The New York Times

Latino Cops File for Discrimination in Colorado
Sixteen police officers filed a class-action lawsuit against the Denver Police Department for a "wide range" of discriminatory policies and practices. The case began with complaints filed by twenty-seven different officers. Denver Daily News

Immigrants Eager to Vote Sue to Hasten Citizenship

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:28:54 -0700

Lawyers said tens of thousands of people in New York City were at risk of being disenfranchised in the November elections because the government was taking so long to process their citizenship applications.

Darfur's Genocide Taken to Court; Obama, McCain Speak to NAACP and NCLR

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:57:37 -0700

Religious Rally for Iowa Immigrants
After the immigration raid in Agriprocessors Inc. kosher meatpacking plant in Postville on May 12, many Jewish and Catholic groups from Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota are planning a rally in support of those detained in the raid. They want to bring focus to the nation's immigration policies that are destroying families, communities and individuals. This rally is scheduled to take place on July 27 with about 2,200 supporters. The Associated Press.

Obama Speaks on Responsibility, and McCain on Immigration Reform
At the NAACP convention, Obama brings back the theme of “responsibility” in the Black community. Also, McCain touched upon immigration reform at the National Council of La Raza, saying that he is not flip-flopping on his immigration policies and his main focus remains securing the borders. The Washington Post.

Genocide in Darfur Taken to Court
International Criminal Court brought genocide charges against Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Mr. Bashir is said to have implemented a plan to destroy three main ethnic groups in Darfur, the Fur, the Masalit and the Zaghawa. There are still questions regarding how the United Nations will handle this case. The New York Times.

New Video Released Showing Guantanamo Interrogation
A video released by Omar Khadr's lawyer offers a glimpse into the interrogation and detention of Guantanamo prisoners. In 2002, Khadr, a Canadian citizen, was taken to Guatanamo as an enemy combatant who killed U.S soldiers after throwing a grenade. Los Angeles Times.

Study: Immigrants Mistreated at Detention Center

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:57:00 -0700

SEATTLE - From excessive strip searches and overcrowding to a lack of due process, an immigrant advocacy group alleges detainees are being mistreated at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, which houses illegal aliens in the process of deportation. The study - released by Seattle-based OneAmerica and the International Human Rights Clinic at Seattle University’s law [...]

San Francisco hands over immigrant youth; ICE avoids churches

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:51:55 -0700

ICE's long avoidance of churches surfaces with renewed criticism
Conservative critics are again targeting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's long-standing avoidance of churches. At a moment in which detainment and deportation are commonplace, the New Sanctuary Movement, which forges relationships between illegal immigrants and churches, has again come under fire. Experts say that since the 1970s, ICE has avoided "churches, playgrounds and schools," while pursuing factories, restaurants and private homes with little restraint. Since then, certain churches have become the site of high-profile organizing against U.S. immigration policy. Elvira Arellano, who received national attention for her work, was only deported after leaving sanctuary to attend a Los Angeles rally. The Associated Press

Hong Kong's anti-discrimination law falls short
Last week's new bill, the first of its kind for a Chinese territory and the result of more than a decade of legislative debate, does little to actively curb discrimination outside the private sector. It focuses on controlling businesses, especially with housing and employment, but leaves the ever-strengthening bureaucracy untouched. As well, while the bill provides some grounds for African, Southeast Asian and South Asian immigrants to contest treatment, it fails to address a long-standing tradition of discrimination against ethnic Chinese migrants, who come from the mainland in droves, only to be denied basic public services. Time/CNN

San Francisco cooperates with ICE
After several months of intense criticism and pressure from government officials, San Francisco has started to hand over the names of "youth who may be in the U.S. illegally." Recently, Mayor Gavin Newsom reversed the 20-year sanctuary policy, which had shielded immigrant youth from deportation and sometimes funded their trips home. Now, at least 10 youth are being held in juvenile custody, on mainly drug-related charges. San Francisco Chronicle

Raising Sand: Karen Button discussing the latest on Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan, Segment 1

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:25:06 -0700

Karen Button discussing the latest on Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan. With the media in the U.S. covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for about 2 minutes a week, it is essential that the plight of refugees is brought to the attention of Americans. USE THE RED ARROW, BELOW, TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

Grim toll of African refugees mounts on Spanish beaches

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:00:21 -0700

Fears of record number of would-be migrants killed in desperate bids to reach Europe this summer

Workers at 3 Toronto Hotels Could Strike

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:11:21 -0700

Workers at 3 hotels could strike: Unions negotiating wages, conditions as contracts expire in peak tourist season
by Lesley Ciarula Taylor, Toronto Star, July 12, 2008.

At the height of Toronto's summer tourist season, unions at three hotels, including the Fairmont Royal York, have moved into strike positions.

Eighty-one per cent of the 850 workers at the Royal York voted to strike as early as July 16, the date their contract expires, if negotiations fail.

Contracts for 134 workers at the Holiday Inn and Radisson hotels on Dixon Rd., near the airport, expired yesterday, putting them in a position to strike at any time.

Abdul Husseini came off shift as a waiter at the Holiday Inn's restaurant yesterday and went right into a meeting of Local 75 of Unite Here, the union organizing employees at hotels across North America.

"The important issue is standards," Husseini said. "Our first cook gets $14.76 an hour. At the Hilton down the road, the first cook gets $18.86 an hour and Westmont (Hospitality Group) owns them both. At least they could fill the gap.

"There are 18 people working in the kitchen, we're open 24 hours a day, most of them are recent immigrants from India and Sri Lanka and they really work hard."

Advocates to appeal anti-refugee court ruling

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:30:00 -0700

Refugee advocates are taking the federal government to the Supreme Court over a deal they say is making the lives of already desperate refugees perilous.

NYT Video: Interpreter Speaks Out

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:46:35 -0700

Check out the video of Erik Camayd-Freixas, an interpreter, speaks about the proceedings against illegal immigrants arrested at a meatpacking plant in Iowa.