Nicole Catá’s Post

Houston's immigrant landscape is changing, becoming far more diverse than some realize, according to a study by the Migration Policy Institute. Some key takeaways: 📍 Immigration has skyrocketed from countries beyond Mexico 📍 Nearly half the children in Houston live with at least one immigrant parent 📍 Afghan refugees moved to Houston in droves, more than any other city in the U.S. 📍 Houston’s diversity extends beyond ethnicity to legal status 📍 Almost 70,000 immigrants find themselves underemployed relative to their education and background 📍 Immigrants face barriers to naturalization Read more: https://bit.ly/46glZrJ

Fiona Hurley, Nasc CEO on Newstalk this week: "There is an appreciation for #diversity in Ireland and some of the findings in the report are reflective of what we at Nasc are seeing on the ground. There are thousands of people across the country quietly #volunteering, welcoming newcomers to their area and to their homes." "We have work to do in making sure that people are aware of the benefits of #immigration in terms of our economic and cultural growth. We also need to be looking at expanding #integration initiatives - research generally shows that when people are interacting closely with people from a migrant background e.g. if they become friends and family, they have more positive attitudes towards migrants." "There are really valid concerns at the moment - structural challenges regarding access to #housing. For people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in Ireland, we can't remember a time when access to housing and #healthcare wasn't an issue. These are issues that were here long before immigration numbers increased in Ireland." https://lnkd.in/gUgbRVee

All the more reason keeping racism out of communities with healthy mentality and that's a reality worth keeping. Many people were encouraged to think politics is stupid, no good, never changes and something out there. It worked as many people feel that way about politics and yet it's the core of our living/surviving and maybe how we die. With modern technologies many people who became political outside traditional avenues such as class mentalities where many communities oppressed are subconsciously playing out/manifesting into reality. Feel people should not take politics likely anymore and informing themselves and people in general could be civilisation saving. This can be difficult to see within any particular mentality, example: working class, middle class or ruling class, but it's not that difficult to see it outside the colony.

March 31,2024 will mark a significant day for Canada’s settlement sector. The Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA-ACSEI) will formally close after almost twenty years. CISSA-ACSEI was envisioned as the immigrant settlement sector’s pan-Canadian voice representing over 750 immigrant serving agencies…. a national body whose purpose was to harness the expertise of the immigrant settlement sector and to act as the sector’s national voice to help build a Canadian society in which all immigrants and refugees were able to participate fully. After forming in March 2005 and later incorporating, CISSA-ACSEI board, without sustainable funding, undertook various seminal reports, research, position papers and briefs highlighting such things as the need for a multiyear immigration levels plan that included temporary residents, the expansion of the national settlement program to include some temporary residents, a study on procurement practices as alternatives to current government funding agreements, the need to redesign the resettlement assistance program, the important role and capacity building needed of the sector’s provincial umbrella organizations, and more recently, two national compensation surveys that highlighted pay equity issues across Canada and establishing Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven national secretariat to support the post arrival phase of displaced Ukrainians. While many of us tried unsuccessfully over the years to seek non governmental funding, ultimately, we could no longer maintain the legal entity and so, Canada, which invests over $1 billion dollars annually on immigrant and refugee settlement and integration services will remain without a single pan Canadian sector voice which is separate from the collaborative structures with IRCC. With time, hopefully the next generation of sector leaders will reignite discussions that will lead to building a strong sustainable national voice/body to engage in advocacy, public policy and community engagement on behalf of the settlement sector. Our sector plays a vital and critically important role in supporting newcomers in this country. National debates on immigration must consider the insights of the sector which works directly with newcomers in communities across the country in ongoing deliberations. Katie Crocker Darlene Doerksen Sarosh Rizvi Vicki Sinclair Debbie Douglas Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes - TCRI Carolyn Whiteway Frank Bauer Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) AMSSA

I am very excited to share my paper entitled ""They act like we are going to heaven”: pre-arrival information experiences, information crafting and settlement of immigrants in Canada," published in the @Journal of Documentation https://lnkd.in/d7YYxGFw. If you are interested in the pre-arrival information experiences of immigrants consulting formal information sources, such as immigration agents and government agencies, give it a read and let me know your feedback. I believe the concept of “information crafting” may be useful in understanding the information-sharing practices of various agencies and organizations, including immigration ministries worldwide. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude to my doctoral supervisor, Professor Paulette Rothbauer, for her incredible help with publishing this paper. Having a supervisor like her is truly a blessing! #canadaimmigration #immigrationtocanada #migration #informationbehavior #migrants #informationcrafting #informeddecisionmaking #informationexperience #immigrants #immigrantstories

SEF Relinquished: #AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) Steps In On October 29, 2023, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) officially #commenced its #operations, marking a #significant shift in the management of #immigration -related #administrative processes. This #development comes as a response to the government's call for a new focal point on #reception , #integration , and #asylum . AIMA's inaugural #budget amounts to 81 million euros, with the majority of funding derived from internal and #european sources, totaling over 95%. The establishment of AIMA #signifies the formal #division of #policing and administrative #functions , paving the way for the introduction of innovative approaches, features, and policies aimed at enhancing the accessibility and security of services. This #separation is poised to bolster confidence and credibility among users and society. AIMA has inherited a #considerable workload, with 347,000 pending cases from its #predecessor, the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF). Addressing these cases, particularly those related to #family #reunification, is a top priority for AIMA, #prompting the initiation of a #specialized operation in the first #quarter of the following year. AIMA is commencing operations with approximately 740 employees stationed across the country. An additional 190 personnel will be recruited to augment the workforce, enhancing the quality and efficiency of services provided. To expedite the resolution of pending cases, AIMA is planning an extensive operation to conclude these matters by the end of March 2024, leveraging the assistance of local authorities and the network of Local Support Centers for the Integration of Migrants. Moreover, immediate measures will be taken, such as establishing an AIMA Contact Center and its affiliates, to bolster physical presence at service centers. In terms of key initiatives: By the end of 2023: AIMA Portal Launch: This will #streamline the process for family reunification requests for senior #residents , #eliminating the need for phone scheduling. In the first quarter of 2024: Mega Operation to Clear 347,000 Pending Cases: This will involve collaboration with local #authorities , professional organizations, and Integration Support Centers. Strategic Plan for Promoting Portuguese Language Among Migrants. In 2024: AIMA Portal #opens for residence permit #applications and renewals. Establishment of 10 additional service stations. Introduction of a high-quality telephone call center. Creation of a multidisciplinary national center overseeing international protection processes and providing support for refugees and asylum seekers throughout their journey in #portugal . https://lnkd.in/dsTqMtY6 #portugal #sef #aima #immigrationservices #immigrationlawyer #relocation #relocationspecialist #relocationexpert #immigrationconsultants

https://lnkd.in/gcJUcbkF The older I get, the more convinced I am that immigration is not a simple question of inclusion or exclusion but of #equilibrium in the #migration flow: Migration: emigration, immigration, integration. And #integration has a lot to do with DISTRIBUTION: of persons, resources, skills, values etc. It involves MATCHING needs and gifts of receiving communities and of newcomers. If this works --and they're being cautious and intentional in the implementation--, it may be a helpful example for others.

Big changes are coming to Canadian citizenship📣🍁 The government has introduced Bill C-71, which aims to make citizenship more inclusive and foster enhanced immigrant integration. Tap into what this means and the impact it may have on future generations of Canadians 👉 https://bit.ly/4aDF2OB #CanadianCitizenship #LawAmendment #ImmigrationNews #GlobalMobility #CanadianImmigration

Although Mexico is still the most common origin country for unauthorized immigrants in the U.S., the study found that the proportion of Mexico-born unauthorized immigrants has dropped significantly since 2017. In Texas, Mexican unauthorized immigrants decreased from 73% of unauthorized immigrants in 2016 to 55% in 2021.

I recently was blocked by a LinkedIn member because I disagreed with his post calling for Australian government to stop immigration intake because it is too high and our economy cannot afford to take on more immigrants. This person promoted Pauline Hanson's views on this topic and praised her for breaking the silence on questioning immigration as an issue. He also preceded to accuse me of having a vested interest in defending immigration levels because I work with migrants and refugees. He also mentioned that all Australian polls indicate that the majority of Australians want immigration to stop. The Scanlon Foundation 2023 Social Cohesion Report states the following: "In 2023, 33 per cent of people think ‘the number of immigrants accepted into Australia at present’ is too high, 51 per cent say it is about right and 14 per cent believe it is too low. The 2023 Mapping Social Cohesion survey is the first in the post-COVID era in which there were no international border closures in the prior 12 months. When borders were closed between early 2020 and early 2022, belief that the number of immigrants was too high declined substantially, while belief the number was too low increased. In 2023 and with a substantial immigrant intake since borders were reopened, these trends have reversed. Nevertheless, half of the population believe the intake is about right, a similar proportion since 2020 and higher than pre-COVID levels." I rest my case. #immigration #freedomofspeech CivilSocietyHUB https://lnkd.in/g3tCynDT