OCASI latest articles

Immigration Levels, $15 Mininum Wage

July 2017

Over the past few weeks, my time has been taken up with government relations obligations: consultation with the Federal Minister responsible for immigration; discussions with the Provincial Ministry (of Citizenship and Immigration) and their new Refugee Resettlement Unit; participation on the Global Migration Compact Advisory Committee and my work on the Provincial Working Group charged with developing a roadmap for Income Security Reform.

Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

June 21, 2017/ Toronto

OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants acknowledges the traditional territories of the peoples of Turtle Island and thanks Indigenous peoples for allowing us to settle on these lands. We affirm our commitment to the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as the collective voice for Ontario’s immigrant and refugee-serving sector, and within our organization and in our governance.

New Ontario-wide legal services

For Immediate Release

June 16, 2017 / Toronto / The Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (MTCSALC) today launches its new name, a new logo and a new province-wide toll free number.

As of today, MTCSALC will change its name to Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (CSALC).   It will also have a new toll-free number: 1-844-971-9674 in order to serve low income, non-English speaking members of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian communities living anywhere in Ontario.

End Canada’s Hate Crime Problem

OCASI is deeply disturbed by the rise in hate crimes in 2015, particularly the rise in Islamophobia and targeting of Muslim and Arab residents. The findings on "Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2015" confirm how much work there still is to be done to counter the prevailing and pervasive anti Black Racism, Islamophobia and anti- Semitism, and that as Canadians we can't be complacent about these realities.

Immigrant bashing: Social conservative's hobby horse & filibuster favourite

By Karl Flecker

Kingston/June 2017

When asked to speak at a parliamentary committee studying efforts to improve and retain immigrants to the Atlantic region I suppose I should have realized that the Conservatives on the committee would seize the opportunity to bash immigrants, at the expense of those invited to provide input for policy development.

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