Today, the NDP critic and deputy critic for immigration, refugees and citizenship, Jenny Kwan and Blake Desjarlais, made the following statement:
NDP Media Release - The Liberal government can’t abandon Ukrainians
NDP Media Release - The Liberal government can’t abandon Ukrainians
“Since Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes. Many came to Canada after the initial invasion eight years ago and have successfully resettled in communities across the country.
Yesterday, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the situation for people on the ground has become unfathomably more dire. With the growing humanitarian crisis in their home country, Ukrainians will be seeking safety and refuge in Canada.
Since 2018, NDP MPs have been calling for visa-free access for Ukrainians and, just last year, our colleague Daniel Blaikie sent a letter to the government calling for urgent action.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is calling for neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to those seeking safety and protection from this act of aggression. Canada is recognized for its historical leadership in humanitarian actions in the global community and we must also play our part now. We are calling for the Liberal government to enact new special refugee immigration measures and work collaborative with the UNHCR to support and resettle those who have been displaced by this escalating humanitarian crisis.
New Democrats are also calling on the government to automatically extend expiring documents and visitor, work and study permits for all Ukrainians currently in Canada. Those who are already here in Canada should not be compelled to return due to the severe risks and danger in Ukraine.
While prioritizing permanent residency applications and travel documents for Ukraine is a necessary measure, the Liberals must not repeat the mistakes they have made with the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis. They must ensure this work is done properly with new staffing resources and immigration levels so that the existing significant backlog for all streams within IRCC is not further impacted.
In light of the escalating crisis, it must be recognized that Ukrainians fleeing the dangers of their homeland do not have months to spare. The most urgent action is required.”
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How your data determines what you pay!
What if the price you pay at the store is different than the person standing next to you?
Corporations can use personal data such as location, device type, browsing history, purchase behavior, login status, and loyalty cards/programs to profile consumers and determine what different people are charged for the same goods and services.
How can we stop this from happening in Canada?
Join MP Jenny Kwan, Patrick Johnson - President of UFCW 1518, Jim Stanford - Economist and Director of Centre for Future Work, Avi Lewis - NDP Leader and Benjamin Fung - Canada Research Chair in Data Mining for Cybersecurity and other experts, for a public forum and community conversation about what surveillance pricing means for consumers and workers, how technology and personal data are changing the way prices are set, and what everyday people can do to fight back.
*Scan QR code, click the image or this link to register your attendance - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/your-data-their-price-a-town-hall-on-surveillance-pricing-tickets-1998495899032
IRCC taking 33 months to process applications in wake of 'lost Canadians' law
When Pascal Sud and Meisha Smith prepared in January for the arrival of their first child, the choice seemed simple.
Smith would give birth in her home country of Jamaica where she had family support, and then they would together return to Montreal three months later.
At the time, the wait time for the citizenship certificate that their daughter, Sofianne, needed to fly back to Canada was between four and six weeks.
But more than eight months later, they're still waiting.
Sud is back at work in Montreal while Smith and Sofianne are still in Jamaica.
"It's been very frustrating," said Sud. "I was lucky to be there for three months … but I've been missing every step since, and it's been very difficult to be apart from them."
He's not alone.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is struggling to handle a flood of citizenship applications — many of them from a change to federal law late last year that allows anyone who can prove they have a Canadian ancestor to apply.
That backlog is preventing Canadians born abroad like Sofianne from coming home.
According to the department's most recent update on Sept. 3, there are 136,000 applications waiting to be processed. Those applying for a citizenship certificate now face a wait of 33 months.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called on the government to restore staffing and resources that were cut at IRCC, calling the processing delays "simply unreasonable and unacceptable."
*Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-citizenship-lost-canadians-c3-backlog-9.7366981