A Call to End Genocide: OCASI Statement on Calls For Justice by the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

December 18, 2018 / Toronto – Today, on International Migrants Day, OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants celebrates the struggles, accomplishments and contributions of the thousands of migrant workers and migrants in Canada.

We remind ourselves that all migrants have basic rights in Canada, and these rights must be respected and all migrants treated with dignity.

November 22, 2018 / Toronto – OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants is deeply concerned about the Ontario government’s decision to eliminate the position of the Ontario Child Advocate.

Children and youth in this province will no longer have an independent, non-partisan voice that puts their rights and well-being first. Ontario joins Prince Edward Island and the North West Territories as the only jurisdictions in Canada without an independent voice for children and youth.

November 20, 2018 / Toronto - OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants calls on the government of Ontario to treat workers with respect and dignity by withdrawing Bill 47 and restoring proactive workplace inspections for compliance with the Employment Standards Act.

OCASI is the umbrella organization for immigrant and refugee serving agencies in Ontario and the collective voice for the sector, with 234 member agencies located in communities across the province.

CISSA-ACSEI and OCASI would like to acknowledge the progress and improvements that have been introduced in several contribution agreement related areas over the past five years through the collaborative efforts by IRCC and sector colleagues from the National Settlement Council previous working group on Grants and Contributions.

Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change (COP - COC) has released the following comments on the National Poverty Reduction Strategy released on August 21, 2018. OCASI is a steering committee member of COP - COC.

OCASI joined civil society organizations to express concerns and questions about the newly-created Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction.

In an Open Letter to the Prime Minister civil society organizations from across Canada described concerns and questions regarding the establishment of the new and unprecedented Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction. The letter points out the following:

Update

Click here to read the response to OCASI's questions from the Ontario NDP, received on May 14, 2018.

We will post responses from other political parties whenever they are received.

Questions for Candidates

Ontario Election Day is June 7, 2018

 Download the Fact Sheet and Questions in PDF

OCASI was invited to make presentations to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Ms.  Dubravka Šimonović, during her country visit to Canada on 11 - 23 April 2018.

OCASI made presentations on:

Policy priorities for refugee, immigrant and migrant women in Canada.

The Peer Champion Model as a Best Practice for Anti-VAW Work.