OCASI latest articles

Open Letter: Settlement Funding Cuts

Type: 
Open Letters

Toronto / 10 March 2026

OCASI joined immigrant and refugee-serving sector umbrella organizations representing more than 500 community organizations from across Canada in sending an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship – Lena Metlege Diab regarding funding cuts to federally funded settlement programs.

The organizations expressed concern that these measures will negatively impact immigrants and refugees, and are in fact contradictory to the government’s stated goal of strengthening Canada’s economy.

This Too Shall Pass

Type: 
Executive Director's Message

Toronto / March 2026

I watched the faces of the sector leaders who sit on my Board as they received news of their Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) settlement funding allocation for the coming fiscal year. Although a virtual meeting, I watched the air and energy get sucked out of the space. This immediately following a meeting with IRCC National Headquarters (NHQ) and Ontario Region. The pain has begun for our sector here in Ontario.

In This Time

Type: 
Executive Director's Message

Toronto / February 2026

"We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons, is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes"

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