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IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - While Afghan judges await entry to Canada, their visas face expiry deadlines in Greece

Greece granted the women and their families temporary visas on the understanding that the country would be a “lily pad” destination – a place where the Afghans would stay temporarily while they awaited visas from Canada, the United States and other countries. But the paperwork has taken months. In a letter to Mr. Fraser and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said some of the Greek visas will expire at the end of this month.

In her letter, she wrote that the immigration forms are detailed and complex, and that filling them out requires internet access, which refugees might be unable to obtain. They might also need help from lawyers and translators.

IN THE NEWS: Toronto Star - Available ‘deportation resources’ could quicken family reunification process

Frustrated at the delays, many applicants have taken to social media to voice their frustrations. One of the groups is the Canada Spousal Sponsorship Support Group, which has over 20,000 members. 

NDP Immigration Critic Jenny Kwan has called upon the IRCC to prioritize family reunification and create a special temporary resident visa as part of the family reunification process. 

IN THE NEWS: Global News - BC MP condemns Hong Kong arrests of pro-democracy journalists

Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, says the arrests of pro-democracy journalists in Hong Kong is ‘heartbreaking”. And she’s calling on the Canadian government to take action. Paul Johnson reports.

IN THE NEWS: Georgia Straight - Chinese dictator Xi Jinping risks spoiling his Olympic party by prosecuting Hong Kong pop star Denis Ho

Ho, a Canadian citizen, was one of seven people arrested in Hong Kong this week for being currently or formerly associated with the online media outlet Stand News.

As Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan has pointed out, the arrests fly in the face of Article 27 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - Canadian Cantopop star Denise Ho sacrificed a lucrative career in China to speak out for Hong Kong

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it was “deeply concerned by the arrests … including Canadian citizen and activist Denise Ho.”

Politicians across the spectrum have spoken out in support of Ms. Ho. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis called for a “swift and emphatic response” from Ottawa. Green Party interim leader Amita Kuttner said she was “alarmed” by Ms. Ho’s arrest, while Hong Kong-born NDP lawmaker Jenny Kwan said the city “has turned into a police state,” adding “Canada needs to work urgently with ally countries to address this grave situation.”

IN THE NEWS: Georgia Straight - Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan expresses sadness and dismay over arrests of Stand News staff and ex-directors

It says: “Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike.”  

Kwan's statement pointed out that when China's National Congress enacted the National Security Law for Hong Kong on June 30,2020, residents were assured that it would not be applied retroactively.

IN THE NEWS: CBC - Vancouver MP ‘heartbroken' by arrest of Hong Kong journalists

Kwan said the implications of these arrests reach across the globe. Anybody in Canada that critiques the Chinese government can also be targeted by these laws if they travel to Hong Kong, she said. Kwan said Canadian expatriates living in Hong Kong are at risk of being targeted. 

"No one is safe… I have now come to the realization that I can no longer travel back to Hong Kong, my birthplace. I had hoped that one day I could bring my children back… but that is not a reality for me," said Kwan. 

Stand News announced later Wednesday it is shutting down. The outlet said all employees were dismissed and their website and social media will be taken down. 

Liberals still aren’t getting Canadians the support they were promised

NDP finance critic, Daniel Blaikie, made the following statement:

“Canadians are trying their best to cope as the pandemic continues. People are worried about their health and workers and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises are again losing their incomes. Families across the country are struggling with the rising cost of living which makes it harder for them to pay for their rent and groceries.

IN THE NEWS: Rabble - No room at Canada’s inn for Afghan refugees

Indeed, on December 7, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called for emergency immigration measures in the House of Commons, pointing out:

“According to the government’s own website, ‘Canada and its allies have received assurances from the Taliban that Afghan citizens with travel authorization from other countries will be allowed to leave Afghanistan.’ Canada must not squander this small window of opportunity given the dire situation in Afghanistan. The NDP is therefore calling on the government to bring in an emergency immigration measure of utilizing temporary residence permits to help Afghans get to safety.”

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - ‘Binner’ Ken Lyotier led recycling initiatives in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

Mr. Lyotier followed up United We Can with the Binners Project in 2016, continuing his efforts to bring respect and dignity to the work. That year, binners were hired as “zero-waste ambassadors” for Vancouver’s annual Pacific National Exhibition.

“He was a bridge builder. I don’t know very many people who could navigate that many levels of bureaucracy,” says Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan, a friend of Mr. Lyotier’s since meeting him in the early 1990s when she was a community legal advocate in the Downtown Eastside.