Renzetti | DEI wins the midterms

2026/11/06 Leave a comment

Nice turn of events after all the nastiness:

…It’s not surprising that the women who won gubernatorial races ran on platforms of restoring public education and opposing data centres. They listened to constituents who are worried about their children’s futures and feel powerless to stop big money rushing in to buy up land in their states. Each of the candidates promoted a people-centred vision of what the future could look like.

These candidates didn’t run solely on their identities. They might even disavow the term DEI, which has been effectively degraded to the status of a leper’s bell — but they represent its value anyway. They ran on economic populism, affordability, the price of groceries, protecting reproductive choice, shoring up education. Each of them spent years in the trenches of public service — serving on school boards, public-health agencies, municipal councils. Not one of them is a billionaire. That’s identity too.

The last decade has been exhausting, watching our southern neighbours turn on each other, and on their most vulnerable. We’ve been forced to watch Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue on an endless loop. It seemed like jackal politics might be in the ascendant forever.

That’s why it was so joyful to wake up to new faces, and new possibilities. Big money got defeated in this election, alongside big tech. Expertise, hustle and lived experience won. A different vision of power won.

Source: Opinion | DEI wins the midterms

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Meggs: Il faut se saisir du plein potentiel de nos pouvoirs en immigration

2026/11/06 Leave a comment

Always worth reading for a Quebec perspective:

…La cible de 35 000 admissions permanentes parmi des résidents temporaires au Québec sera facile à atteindre. Il y a, en fait, déjà plus de 75 000 de ces personnes, ayant franchi toutes les étapes préalables exigées des deux gouvernements, qui attendent la résidence permanente, toutes catégories confondues.

Échanger leur permis temporaire pour un visa de résident permanent est le rêve de leur vie. Baisser leur nombre de 45 000 à 35 000 veut dire cependant qu’il y en aura qui vont attendre encore plus longtemps pour réaliser leur rêve. Dépendant de la catégorie, ces attentes sont déjà d’un an à plus de dix ans.

La baisse du seuil va rendre plus long que quatre ans le temps nécessaire pour diminuer de moitié le nombre de résidents temporaires, sachant que les personnes en attente de la résidence permanente sont comptées comme résidents non permanents par Statistiques Canada.

Pour les titulaires de permis de travail ou d’études, il y a donc trois options :

  • Arrêter d’en ajouter en coupant le nombre de ces permis délivrés et renouvelés. Controversé politiquement, ce sera possible dans le cas du PTET et les permis d’études. Assumer la responsabilité pour le PMI permettrait au Québec d’agir éventuellement sur la balance des permis temporaires.
  • Accorder la résidence permanente aux travailleurs qualifiés et aux conjoints approuvés dans la catégorie familiale déjà au Québec, ce qui dépasserait le seuil de 35 000.
  • Attendre que les permis temporaires expirent et que ces personnes quittent le pays. La grande majorité respecte l’obligation de quitter, même si ce n’est pas leur souhait.

Quant à la catégorie de StatCan nommée « demandeurs d’asile », il serait facile pour le Québec de diminuer leur nombre établi à 190 000 de plus de 42 000, en accordant la résidence permanente aux réfugiés reconnus, mais le seuil de 35 000 bloque ce chemin.

On pourrait inciter davantage de résidents temporaires qui communiquent facilement en français à déménager dans une autre province. Plusieurs le font déjà. D’une pierre, trois coups. La personne obtiendra plus facilement et plus rapidement la résidence permanente, les communautés francophones hors Québec trouveraient un nouvel espoir de pérennité et le nombre de résidents temporaires au Québec baisserait. Pour être claire, cette option n’est pas proposée sérieusement. Elle aurait certains avantages pour les personnes et les communautés concernées, mais ce serait très triste et un aveu d’échec pour le Québec.

Réimaginer ensemble une meilleure façon de faire

Il n’y a pas d’enjeu en matière d’immigration aujourd’hui qui n’est pas lié au virage pris vers un système en deux étapes. Ramener de l’ordre dans la situation actuelle et, en même temps, mettre en place une réforme qui éviterait qu’elle se reproduise à l’avenir est une tâche immense.

Il y a un poème d’Emily Dickinson, repris récemment dans le New York Times, qui vient à l’esprit. « J’habite dans la Possibilité » [2]. Il est très difficile de vivre d’espoir dans nos temps modernes. Mais si nous pouvions retourner à l’esprit de 1978 et de 1991, et retrouver la même transpartisanerie dans ce dossier critique, peut–être qu’on serait à la hauteur de réimaginer ensemble la façon dont nous accueillons les personnes qui acceptent notre invitation à partager notre avenir, celles qui se joignent avec leur famille au Québec et celles qui ont besoin d’une place accueillante et libre pour vivre de façon sécuritaire.

Source: Il faut se saisir du plein potentiel de nos pouvoirs en immigration

…The target of 35,000 permanent admissions among temporary residents in Quebec will be easy to reach. In fact, there are already more than 75,000 of these people, who have already completed all the pre-requisite steps required by both governments, waiting for permanent residence, all categories included.

Switching their temporary permit to a permanent resident visa is their life’s dream. However, reducing their number from 45,000 to 35,000 means that some will have to wait even longer to realize their dream. Depending on the category, these expectations can already range from one year to more than ten years.

The drop in the threshold will make it longer than four years for the time needed to halve the number of temporary residents, knowing that people awaiting permanent residence are counted as non-permanent residents by Statistics Canada.

For holders of work or study permits, there are therefore three options:

  • Stop adding them by reducing the number of these permits issued and renewed. Politically controversial, this will be possible in the case of PTET and study permits. Taking responsibility for the PMI would allow Quebec to potentially act on the balance of temporary permits.
  • Granting permanent residence to qualified workers and approved spouses in the family category already in Quebec would exceed the threshold of 35,000.
  • Waiting for the temporary permits to expire and for these people to leave the country. The vast majority comply with the obligation to leave, even if it is not their wish.

As for the StatCan category called “asylum seekers,” it would be easy for Quebec to reduce their established number to 190,000 by more than 42,000 by granting permanent residence to recognized refugees, but the 35,000 threshold blocks this path.

We could encourage more temporary residents who communicate easily in French to move to another province. Several already do. With a single stone, three strikes. The person would easily and quickly obtain permanent residence, French-speaking communities outside Quebec would find a new hope for sustainability, and the number of temporary residents in Quebec would decrease. To be clear, this option is not being seriously proposed. It would have some benefits for the people and communities involved, but it would be very sad and a confession of failure for Quebec.

Reimagine together a better way to do things

There is no issue in immigration today that is not related to the shift towards a two-stage system. Bringing order to the current situation and, at the same time, implementing a reform that would prevent it from happening again in the future is an immense task.

There is a poem by Emily Dickinson, recently reprinted in the New York Times, that comes to mind. “I Live in Possibility” [2]. It is very difficult to live with hope in our modern times. But if we could go back to the spirit of 1978 and 1991, and rediscover the same transpartisan spirit in this critical dossier, perhaps we could come up with a way to reimagine together how we welcome people who accept our invitation to share our future, those who join with their families in Quebec, and those who need a welcoming and free place to live safely.

Filed under Immigration Tagged with ,

Immigration (Quebec): Une ex-fonctionnaire accusée d’avoir livré plus d’une centaine de faux certificats de sélection

2026/11/06 Leave a comment

Fortunately rare:

Les gestes se seraient produits sur une période d’environ deux ans et demi, entre le 22 août 2016 et le 3 février 2019. L’ex-employée en question, Marilena Ida, était alors coordonnatrice par intérim du Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ).

Dans le cadre de ses fonctions, elle aurait livré au moins une centaine de faux certificats de sélection du Québec (CSQ) « à des candidats qui ne répondaient pas aux critères d’éligibilité » pour l’obtention du document, indique le Commissaire à la lutte contre la corruption (CLCC) dans un communiqué diffusé mercredi soir.

En raison de ces gestes allégués, Marilena Ida est accusée d’abus de confiance et de fabrication de faux documents.

Le certificat de sélection du Québec est obtenu à la fin du PEQ, un programme reconnu pour être une voie rapide à l’obtention de la résidence permanente pour les travailleurs et étudiants étrangers. Après avoir terminé le PEQ et obtenu le CSQ, un immigrant peut demander la résidence permanente au gouvernement fédéral.

Une centaine de candidats non admissibles auraient donc reçu un faux CSQ à la fin de leur PEQ.

Marilena Ida ne travaille plus au ministère de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (anciennement appelé ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration) depuis une durée inconnue.

Elle comparaîtra au palais de justice de Montréal le 10 décembre….

Source: Immigration: Une ex-fonctionnaire accusée d’avoir livré plus d’une centaine de faux certificats de sélection

The actions would have taken place over a period of approximately two and a half years, between August 22, 2016, and February 3, 2019. The former employee in question, Marilena Ida, was then acting coordinator of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ).

In the course of her duties, she allegedly provided at least a hundred fake Quebec selection certificates (CSQ) “to candidates who did not meet the eligibility criteria” for obtaining the document, the Anti-Corruption Commissioner (CLCC) stated in a statement released on Wednesday evening.

Due to these alleged acts, Marilena Ida is accused of abuse of trust and forgery of false documents.

The Quebec selection certificate is obtained at the end of the PEQ, a program recognized as a fast path to obtaining permanent residence for foreign workers and students. After completing the PEQ and obtaining the CSQ, an immigrant can apply for permanent residence with the federal government.

Approximately a hundred ineligible candidates would therefore have received a fake CSQ at the end of their PEQ.

Marilena Ida has not worked at the Ministry of Immigration and Integration (formerly known as the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration) for an unknown period of time.

She will appear at the Montreal courthouse on December 10th….

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Using ChatGPT to analyze open data immigration tables

2026/11/05 Leave a comment

For my quarterly updates, I have been working on how best to compile and analyze the various tables in a more time-efficient manner. Next quarter report will largely use ChatGPT for data tables rather than my previous manual approach.

As an example, the prompt I use for country of citizenship analysis is the following:

Using the following excel file INSERT LINK, prepare a table of quarterly statistics, header row to be quarter, header column to be country, organized from highest to lowest in 2018. Top row should be Canada total. Create separate data table for the top 25 countries, 2018 basis. Create subsequent tables that shows year over year percentage change and one that shows two-year changes. Prepare additional table showing annual comparisons in numbers, and same year-over-year and two year comparison.

Prepare a comparative annual year-to-date table as well.

Ensure thousand separators for numbers with percentages to one decimal place.

Freeze header columns and rows (Country and Canada).

Create one separate table that provides a regional summary, where the six rows are Canada, Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe, Oceania, with the top rows being numbers and below rows by percentage of Canadian total. No separate individual region views.

And here is the result:

IRCC_IMP_CITZ_quarterly_and_annual_tablesDownload

One of the better uses I have found for AI. Saves me from learning python (and yes, ChatGPT also creates python scripts).

Filed under Multiculturalism

Belleville synagogue members call for increased focus on counter-radicalization

2026/11/05 2 Comments

Not surprising. Given the relative number of “lone wolves,” not sure which approaches would be most effective:

…The government released a strategy on countering radicalization to violence in 2018.

The implementation of it falls to the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence. The Canada Centre, as it is known, has distributed millions in grants for counter-radicalization programming in the last eight years.

But the funding streams for the programs appear scheduled to soon dry up.

The Public Safety Department’s 2026-27 departmental plan, for example, notes the “maturation” of funding for the Canada Centre as being linked to the loss of 17 full-time equivalent positions.

Noah Shack, the chief executive officer of the advocacy group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said at the news conference that he hopes Thursday’s federal budget renews and increases the funding.

He said those who work in counter-radicalization efforts say a common thread among those susceptible to violent extremism is hatred of Jews.

“So we know that in confronting antisemitism, we are getting at the root of a larger problem,” he said.

Source: Belleville synagogue members call for increased focus on counter-radicalization

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Indian students cite visa issues, job prospects and safety concerns for avoiding Canada

2026/11/03 Leave a comment

Not necessarily a bad development, depends on whether the impact is more at the lower skilled or higher talented end:

…Consultants in India say families who once asked how to get to Canada now ask whether to go.

Canada doubled the proof of funds it requires for a student visa from $10,000 to more than $20,000 in 2024.

“For many Indian families, it’s a lifetime savings. The risk of visa rejection has added to the uncertainty and put students off,” said Anjali Ingala, a consultant at GeeBee Education in Mumbai.

Study visa rejections rose from 38 per cent in 2023 to 52 per cent in 2024, according to ICEF Monitor, which tracks international student mobility.

Ms. Ingala said Indian students now also “worry whether they will be able to build a future for themselves after they arrive there.”

“Because of these uncertainties, we are not getting many new enquiries for admissions in Canada,” she said.

GeeBee Education used to send the highest number of students to Canada, but that has changed in the past 2½ years. “We are recording a dip of 80 per cent for Canada enquiries in Mumbai and other parts of India,” said Saahil Chheda, the consultancy’s general manager.

Mr. Chheda said inflation, rising accommodation costs and law and order issues have exacerbated the situation. However, with the warming of relations between two countries, he said, families have started enquiring about Canada for 2028.

Source: Indian students cite visa issues, job prospects and safety concerns for avoiding Canada

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Fighting accent bias is everyone’s job, not just accented speakers’

2026/11/03 Leave a comment

Of note. Reasonable recommendations although it may be harder for some in certain vulnerable situations like healthcare:

…Because there are few practical tools available, we conclude with three steps anyone can take:

Focus on what people are saying, not how they’re saying it.Asking an accented speaker where they’re from, or commenting on their accent, may seem harmless. But both shift attention away from the speaker’s message.

Listen with patience and empathy. Even if a person speaks with an accent, you can probably understand them. And if there is a word or phrase that you don’t catch, just ask.

Get to know accented speakers. The more you interact, the better you’ll understand them.

How would you respond when you experience accent bias?

Source: Fighting accent bias is everyone’s job, not just accented speakers’

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Canada’s new immigration rule is helping this Toronto woman. But insiders say others are resorting to fraud

2026/11/02 Leave a comment

As always, some people will find a way:

…Experts say the new high-wage rules can help Canada attract and retain highly skilled migrants amid a still volatile immigration system. But the new rules that open a door for Sangam could also open a back door for others. They warn that the system is ripe for manipulation — and the gaming has already begun.

“All you need to do is just hop onto Reddit or go to some Facebook groups and read everyone’s posts,” said Kubeir Kamal, a Toronto-based immigration consultant.

“So many of them are asking, can I change my occupational code? What if my employer is giving me this job offer letter? You can see everybody is trying to figure out how they can circumvent this” for the bonus points.

Removing a safeguard to streamline job offer assessment

For years, Ottawa gave candidates in the immigration talent pool extra points for having a job offer validated through an approved labour market impact assessment by Employment and Social Development Canada. That bonus was removed in March 2025 out of fraud concerns.

“This temporary measure will reduce fraud by removing the incentive to illegally buy or sell labour market impact assessments to improve a candidate’s chances of being selected to come to Canada as a permanent resident,” the Immigration Department stated at the time.

As part of the changes announced in October, the government said high-wage job offers will not be scrutinized by ESDC. The Immigration Department will be solely responsible for verifying whether an offer is genuine.

Not long after the announcement, social media posts emerged showing that people are already talking about ways to embellish work experience and inflate job responsibilities to meet the occupational criteria on the high-wage list….

Source: Canada’s new immigration rule is helping this Toronto woman. But insiders say others are resorting to fraud

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Globe editorial: Immigration is not a provincial fiefdom

2026/11/02 Leave a comment

Good editorial with quotes by Skuterud. Shared jurisdiction, neither just federal nor provincial, and little to no evidence that provinces are better able to resist self-interested stakeholder pressures:

…If there are truly some regions of the country that can’t solve their labour problems without immigration, Prof. Skuterud says this should happen through a small standalone program, rather than being funnelled through the economic immigration system. The goals should be clearly defined, and success in terms of retention and other measures should be tracked.

Instead of empowering premiers to create provincial immigration fiefdoms, Ottawa should protect the federal system. The federal government should also reverse its own moves in recent years that have diluted its points system. Rather than using niche “category-based selections,” Ottawa should select economic immigrants with the highest scores in the general pool of candidates.

The federal and provincial governments should stop thinking of immigrants as fodder to plug labour gaps, subsidize post-secondary institutions or achieve other policy goals. Instead, they should revert to a federal system that selects highly skilled high-earners with the best chance at prospering and encourage them to live where they think they will do best. Further undermining Canada’s economic immigration program by giving the provinces increased control is a step in the wrong direction.

Source: Immigration is not a provincial fiefdom

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LoP: Employment Equity in Canada’s Federal Public Service

2026/10/30 Leave a comment

Useful primer. Revising the EE Act appears to be lessor priority for government:

Employment equity is the principle of correcting disadvantages and removing barriers that certain groups face to entering, remaining in or advancing in the workforce. Since 1996, the Employment Equity Act (the Act) has been the main tool for advancing this principle in Canada’s federal public service.

Among other measures, the Act requires monitoring the representation of four “designated groups” in the federal public service: women, “Aboriginal peoples,” “persons with disabilities,” and “members of visible minorities.”

Criticisms of the Act include the fact that it is limited to these four designated groups, uses outdated language in describing them and does little to encourage analysis of how multiple aspects of one’s identity may affect workplace experiences.

Recent data show progress in promoting all four groups within the public service. These data also suggest that all designated groups except people with disabilities have consistently been hired at rates that exceed their workforce availability.

However, the salaries of employees of designated groups are generally lower than those of other public servants. In addition, the groups and metrics chosen by the Act can mask other forms of inequality, including intersectional impacts within subgroups – such as specific ethnic groups within the broader “visible minorities” category – or inequalities faced by groups about which the Act is silent, such as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexually and gender‑diverse employees.

A 2023 report commissioned by the Minister of Labour issued 187 recommendations for modernization of the Act, including several significant legislative changes. The report was followed by similar recommendations by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. Despite initial agreement by the government at that time on several of these recommendations, no legislative changes have since been made.

Source: Employment Equity in Canada’s Federal Public Service

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