Policy

OCASI Brief - Temporary Foriegn Worker Program Review

Policy: 

OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants submitted a Brief to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities for its review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

OCASI made the following key observations and recommendations in the Brief:

Key Observations

Letter To The Editor On Police Carding

OCASI letter to Toronto Star, sent on May 15, 2015

OCASI would like to commend Ontario Superior Court Justice Frederick Myers for his recent ruling on police carding in favor of a Sudanese immigrant who was profiled and assaulted by police for exercising his right. The ruling is a first step in the right direction and underscores what a growing number of people in Toronto believes must happen - the end of carding and other racial profiling activities in the name of 'public safety'.

OCASI Submission on Bill 49 - Ontario Immigration Act

OCASI Executive Director Debbie Douglas appeared as a witness before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy on 16 April 2015 to make a submission on Bill 49 - Ontario Immigration Act, 2015.

The OCASI submission makes several recommendations to strengthen the Bill, including: prioritize permanent immigration over temporary migration; expanding Provincial Nominee Program selection to include low-skilled workers; and strengthen protection of employment and labour protection for migrant workers.

OCASI Input on Canada's Immigrant Settlement Policy - December 2013

OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants as well as other sector umbrella organizations across Canada were given the opportunity to provide a written submission to CIC NHQ with further input and suggestions on Canada's settlement policy following the conclusion of the National Settlement Conference Vision 2020.

Ontario Minimum Wage Consultations

The Minimum Wage Advisory Panel in Ontario has begun public consultations on the minimum wage. Consultations are to be completed by October 18, 2013.

The purpose of the consultations is to receive input and comments on issues raised in a consultation paper that was released on July 17, 2013. The Advisory Panel is seeking input through 9 specific questions detailed in the consultation paper.

OCASI Media Release: Voluntary National Household Survey does not capture true state of Canada

Policy: 

08 May 2013/Toronto – OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants is deeply concerned that the Statistics Canada Voluntary Household Survey released today does not capture the full reality of Canada's populations, such as racialized residents, and foreign-born individuals.

The Voluntary Household Survey notes that foreign-born residents were one-fifth, or 20.6% of the Canadian population in 2011. It notes that recent immigrants (2006-2011) represented 3.5% of the total population and 17.2% of the foreign-born population.

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