Author: FCJ Refugee Centre

Community Roundtable to Improve Access to Education for Newcomer Youth

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With a particular focus on youth here with some form of precarious immigration status, this is the first of two roundtables to address the inequitable experiences of newcomer youth in Ontario High Schools. This discussion will build on the Uprooted Education Project – a year-long participatory research project undertaken by members of the FCJ Youth Network, resulting in a  The Uprooted Education 2016 Ontario Report .

The Uprooted Education 2016 Ontario Report t is the result of a project undertaken by members of the FCJ Youth Network to explore how the unique trajectories and social locations of migrant youth with precarious immigration status intersect with access to, and involvement in, Ontario high schools. The report attempts to detail these experiences through five salient themes, and offer insight into promising practices and possibilities to ignite change.

We would like to especially thank the Laidlaw Foundation for their support, as well as the many organizations and individuals that lent their voices to this project.

We consider this report to be an organic document, and hope that it is valuable in not only raising awareness of this issue in Ontario, but laying further groundwork for its continued exploration across Canada. As such, this project has been inspired and influenced by many others, and hope that it will continue to be improved upon and made relevant to other institutions, organizations and areas of work.

Please join us for a short panel presentation, followed by a day of lively discussion, complimented by light refreshments and some artistic performances.

When
Where
25 Cecil St – 25 Cecil Street Toronto, ON M5T 1N1 CA –
For registration follow the link: https://accesstoeducation.eventbrite.ca

Uprooted Education Round Tables flyer    Repot front page

 

 

 

Hearing preparation and Refugee Appeal process calendar

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Calendar on the upcoming sessions of Hearing Preparation and Refugee Appeal Session.
Both sessions are free and take place in the afternoon time at the IRB location. If you have clients who would like to participate in this sessions they just have to contact Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
Front line workers are welcome to join the sessions with their clients.
If you need interpretation please let us know in advance.

For registration contact Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org or visit our ready tour website:http://www.fcjrefugeecentre.org/ready-tour-registration/   

RAD INFO SESSION
RAD information sessions will provide refugee appellants with a FREE opportunity to be better prepared for the presentation of their appeal before the RAD.
Rejected refugees will learn the steps to follow and how to document your appeal before the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD).
RAD info-sessions are hosted by the Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario in partnership with the Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

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READY TOUR
A READY TOUR provides Refugee Claimants with a FREE opportunity to be better prepared for their hearing, see a hearing room, learn what happens at the hearing, and ask questions about the process.

RADREADYTOUR

 

 

 

 

 

Both sessions are supported by  The Law Foundation of Ontario

 

Buy a Christmas tree at Ikea and support FCJ Refugee Centre

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Thank you for all your support during the The holiday season

 

We  The tree selling season is from November 20th to December 22nd. Every time that you buy a tree at this location, you will be supporting newcomers and refugees.
Also when you purchase a natural fir tree for $20 you will receive a coupon for $20 off an IKEA purchase of $75 or more.

Map Ikea

 

Pictures from last year
Receiving the donation at the end of the holidays.

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Let’s make physical distancing fun! And help kids to keep learning

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We start collecting art supplies for non-status children and we were so happy to find these letters in each of the art bags.  These letters defined our local neighbour… Canada. Keep doing what you are doing. Humanity needs you. Keep safe, well and strong… we are together in this.

Special thanks to Maeve and Tate for your wonderful letters. They are 6 and 8 years old and send their beautiful words in Solidarity with non- status children.

Consideran una “aberración” la actual política de refugiados de Canadá

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Notimex / Ntrzacatecas

Para el asesor de procesos de refugio en Canadá Francisco Rico, es “una aberración” la negativa del actual primer ministro Stephen Harper de abrir las puertas del país a más refugiados sirios para hacer frente a la crisis en la región.

“El gobierno ha dado un cambio rotundo en la política canadiense hacia los refugiados, pues anteriormente había programas para seleccionar refugiados en los propios países con violencia, pero Harper los suspendió”, agregó el co-director del Centro para los Refugiados FCJ, con sede en Toronto. […]

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Giving thanks for Canada: refugees on what this holiday means for them

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Michael Robinson, Toronto Star

For some refugees living in Toronto, Monday will mark their very first Canadian Thanksgiving. For others, the annual feast serves as a standing reminder of their journey to a place they now call home. The Star spoke with several refugees to learn what they are thankful for this year. […]

[…] New Toronto arrivals expressed many reasons to be thankful during the FCJ Refugee Centre’s Thanksgiving dinner late last week.

Haben Tesfai said she was grateful for the Toronto-based organization that had helped her settle into her new home. “As a newcomer, you are not aware of what access you have to services in Toronto,” the Eritrean refugee said. “The FCJ Centre helped me with shelter, the basic needs of life, and from there on, work, study permit applications and volunteering experiences.” […]

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Refugee Moment!

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The Refugee Update team are offering this special publication “The Refugee Moment” to bring together some thoughts and ideas to support the discussion and the calls for action.
The concept of the ‘moment, draws from the work of Antonio Gramsci (1891 – 1937), an Italian Marxist who organized workers against Mussolini in the 1920s. He developed the key concepts of hegemony and conjunctural analysis, studying the use of contradictions and the relationship/alignment of forces at any given “moment” of a struggle. This is a moment in the movement for refugee asylum and protection.

The current refugee crisis has precipitated a broad spectrum of writing and conversations on what is happening and why it is happening, what countries all over the world are doing or not doing and what Canada’s response or lack of repose says about us as a nation. This is an important moment for us as a country – specifically as it comes so close to federal elections. How can individuals, groups and agencies response to this crisis? How can we call work within the current moment to effect real change? How can alliances be formed to ensure that our energies and re-sources are being put to the best possible use? “Key moments” of our struggle or an issue (e.g. an election or a campaign) can lead to some victory or strengthen the popular movement – in this instance for refugee asylum, protection and resettlement.

Articles you can read:Refugee Moment #1

  1. The Canadian legacy of little Aylan Kurdi by Avvy Go
  2. Canada, Turkey and the Syrian Refugees by Howard Adelman
  3. Canada falls flat on the world stage,  Daryl Copeland : Toronto Star on Fri Sep 25 2015
  4. Canada’s refugee acceptance falls far short of Stephen Harper’s claims
    Canada in 41st, not 1st place, as ‘per capita refu-gee receiver in the world’
    Excerpt from CBC News By Daniel Schwartz, CBC News Posted: Sep 10, 2015

 

JOIN US!! Ride and Walk for the FCJ Refugee Centre

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Once again this fall, FCJ Refugee Centre will participate at the RIDE FOR REFUGE: help us to help others! Preparations are gearing up for this year’s ride!

Please join our team- October 3rd is race day!! As you all know, it is based here in Toronto but it is an inspiration and leader nationally!

We like to extend an invitation to you, your family and friends to join a team of Centre supporters- Why not join us Saturday October 3rd for a great day and support the centre at the same time?!! The Ride and Walk for Refuge!

There is still lots of time until ride/walk day on October 3rd to find some donors, recruit some friends and tune up your bike or find your walking shoes!
Our team page is at sweat.w-ith.us/fcjfriends . There you can join the team and, if you can’t walk or ride, make a donation.
You can choose to bike 5,10, 25 or 50 kilometres and you can also WALK or jog 5 km for refuge as well!

There is more information on the ride available at our facebook events:
FACEBOOK- at https://www.facebook.com/events/144155909260885/

I hope you will join us on Saturday October 3rd- your support is greatly appreciated!
You will also see when you sign up that you can start your own team if you would like- this is definitely encouraged!! A family, friends or workplace team would be an amazing addition!

Thanks for your support, and in solidarity!

ride for refuge team 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proud to Protect Refugees Rally: Welcome Syrian Refugees

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Different organizations   participated  in the Proud to Protect Refugees Rally on Thursday September 3rd

The tragic death of 2 children has shocked our community, leaving sadness, anger and impotence before all the barriers that the Canadian government is imposing to Syrian refugees.

CTV interview Loly

CCR Media Release

3 September 2015

Boys’ tragic deaths highlight the human costs of Canada’s inaction on Syrian refugees

In the wake of the tragic deaths of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi and his five-year-old brother Galip, the Canadian Council for Refugees reiterates its call for Canada to open its doors to Syrian refugees. The boys died with their mother while trying to reach Europe after their application to resettle to Canada was refused.

“These small boys could be alive today, if Canada had responded more appropriately to the Syrian refugee crisis,” said Loly Rico, CCR President. “We shouldn’t need to wait for a tragedy like this to realize we must open our doors. We call on an urgent basis for Syrians with family in Canada to be allowed to travel here immediately and complete processing in Canada where they can be safe. We don’t want to see any more children die in this way.”

The Canadian Council for Refugees calls for:

  • Flexible measures (such as Temporary Resident Permits) for Syrians with family in Canada. (Aylan and Galip had an aunt in Canada and likely would have been able to get a Turkish exit permit if they were leaving to reunite with family).
  • A commitment to a minimum of 10,000 government-assisted resettlement places for Syrians to be brought to Canada immediately, funded by the government and additional to Canada’s regular resettlement numbers (current Syrian announcements are within existing commitments so the numbers simply displace other refugees). Refugees should be selected solely based on need.
  • Elimination of barriers to the private sponsorship of refugees, including restoration of full Interim Federal Health coverage and lifting of the document requirements for Group of Five sponsorships.
  • Priority to be maintained for resettlement of other refugees (currently Syrian refugee applications are expedited at the expense of processing for other refugees).

In past refugee crises Canada has responded quickly and decisively. In 1999 Canada took extraordinary measures to evacuate thousands of Kosovar refugees. The same level of commitment is needed now.

 

Find more about Exclusionary Immigration Changes: Refugee Update

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Refugee Update is ready. Some of the articles you can find in the current issue are as follow:

  1. Exclusionary Changes in the Conservative Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Policies: The Beginning of the End
  2. The International Day In Support of Victims of Torture.
  3. Celebrating the Singh Decision: 30th Anniversary
  4. Refugee Appeal Division Information Session
  5. From Enforced Closure to Regulated Mobility: The need for Paradigm Shift in Migration
  6. Breaking the Silence: A Conversation Around Femicide
  7. Ukrainian Refugees: The Root of the Conflict
    website RU

Diverse Residents, One Community celebration June 19th, 2015

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Through this event we intend to raise awareness among the general population of the plight of LGBTQ Refugees and the multiple barriers they face. More importantly, we want to afford members of these communities with a venue to display their talents. This will be achieved through a day of musical and theatrical performances, art, exhibitions, cultural displays and speeches by community leaders.

Date: June 19th, 2015
Venue: Artscape Wychwood Barns
Address: 601 Christie St. Toronto, ON M6G 4C7
Time : from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

To confirm participation please follow the Eventbrite  link: https://diverse-residents.eventbrite.ca

Save the date flyer

 

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