Good news in Immigration: Spousal Sponsorship no longer “conditional”

April 28, 2017May 12, 2017Leave a comment

The Trudeau government has kept its election promise to repeal conditional status for sponsored spouses. This is good news. The two-year condition, which was introduced by the former Conservative government under Harper, was highly problematic particularly for sponsored spouses at risk interpersonal or familial violence.

Congratulations to all of the advocates who worked tirelessly to ensure this condition was removed! We will be celebrating at our upcoming Forum on Sanctuary Cities and the Future of Regularization on May 24th at the University of Toronto.

Spring Forum Time Source: RNSWN

Details on the changes are available here.

Media coverage highlighting the role of advocates: Advocates hail end to ‘conditional’ spousal visas

To read more about the UofT study highlighted in media coverage, see the Migrant Mothers Project

Addressing Risk & Uncertainty in Migration ~ Workshop at the Munk School May 18, 2017

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017Leave a comment

Can Aybek and I are co-hosting a research workshop on Addressing Risk and Uncertainty in Migration: Theory, Processes & Policy Responses at the Munk School, University of Toronto, on Thursday, May 18, 2017.

We were impressed by the quality and number of submissions received for the workshop. Invitations have just gone out today to a handful of applicants based on quality, fit, and potential for publication. It promises to be an exciting and enriching day of research and dialogue!

The workshop will be open to the pubic (with limited seating available) so stay tuned here for more details.

Learn more about the Munk School of Global Affairs

Read the original Call for Papers

Sanctuary Cities & the Future of Regularization ~ A community forum

April 17, 2017April 22, 2017Leave a comment

The Rights of Non-Status Women’s Network (RNSWN) is hosting our 2017 Spring Forum at the University of Toronto on Wednesday, May 24, 2017.

Come Through!

Spring Forum Time ~ Source: RNSWN

DESCRIPTION

Please join us for our spring forum, a biannual networking and information sharing event. The forum’s morning panel will present individuals’ and front line workers’ struggles and strategies to gain access to City of Toronto services for people without immigration status. The afternoon panel will discuss a variety of approaches and strategies on status regularization for people with no legal immigration status. We welcome your questions for all our panellists in open Q&A sessions at the end of each panel and invite you to network over a delicious lunch break.

9:30 to 10:00 Registration and Networking

10:00 to 12:30 Panel on Sanctuary City Toronto with speakers from Research Institutions, City Officials, and Social Service Organizations

12:30 to 1:30 Lunch & Networking

1:30 to 3:30 Panel on The Future of Regularization with speakers from Refugee, Legal, and Grassroots Advocates

3:30 to 4:00 Wrap Up and Discussion

Suggested Donation (for operational costs) to be paid in cash at the door. A receipt can be provided.

• Non-Students: $5-10

• Students are free. Please bring your student I.D.

Please RSVP by Friday May 19th as spaces are limited ~ Thank You!

Thank you to Migrant Mothers Project, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, FCJ, and Springtide Resources who have generously supported this symposium.

~ Space is fully wheelchair accessible. Please let us know of any accessibility needs in advance so that we can do our best to accommodate them.

DATE AND TIME

Wed, 24 May 2017

9:30 AM – 4:00 PM EDT

LOCATION

University of Toronto- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

246 Bloor Street West

3rd Floor- Student Lounge

Toronto, ON M5S

RSVP on Event Brite

Alex Janvier Exhibit at the National Art Gallery of Canada

April 1, 2017April 21, 2017Leave a comment

National Art Gallery of Canada

In March I had the opportunity to visit the Alex Janvier exhibit at the National Art Gallery of Canada.

“My art is truly North American… it has its Indigenous roots. Some of my artwork is healing for myself and for anyone who wants to accept it that way.” ~ Alex Janvier

It was a breathtaking and inspirational experience. Janvier is perhaps best known for his circular watercolours, and they were certainly delightful to see in person. However, I was most moved by his more political work documenting his experience in the Indian Residential School system in Canada, as well as his more recent critiques of environmental degradation and struggles over Indigenous sovereignty.

I was also taken aback by a series of paintings done with oil on linen (pictured here). My favourite was his work called “Fly, Fly, Fly” painted in 1981, which seemed to depict a magical creature “hovering on the surface of the canvas”.