According to the CCR, Bill C-97, the federal budget bill, includes changes to the refugee determination system that will put many people at increased risk of being sent back to face persecution, in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and of Canada’s international human rights obligations.
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The Finance Committee was originally scheduled to study most of Bill C-97, including the refugee determination parts. However, thanks to broad advocacy efforts, the refugee provisions in the budget bill (Bill C-97) have been sent for study by the Citizenship and Immigration Committee.
Take action by contacting Members of Parliament and Senators to protest at the inclusion of these offensive provisions in a budget bill, where they will not receive the attention they need. Share this document that explains the concerns. 
Participate in the Amnesty International campaign through which people can send an email to the Committee and their MP asking that they reject these amendments in Bill C-97: www.amnesty.ca/blog/canada-dont-roll-back-refugee-rights

An exhibition on the LGBTQI refugee experience is now on display at the Daniels Spectrum in downtown Toronto. The 'AM I WRONG TO LOVE?' exhibition is on until July 31st. 

The portrait series explores the stories of 20 refugees from 10 different countries who have all fled their home countries because of their gender expression, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

On Thursday May 16, the 5th Annual Toronto Newcomer Day will be taking place at Nathan Phillips Square from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Toronto Newcomer Day is an annual event held in May that welcomes newcomers to Toronto, helps them understand and access a range of services, and celebrates their contributions to the city. The event features a number of activities such as a formal stage program, a citizenship ceremony for new Canadians, tours of City Hall, a newcomer marketplace, and an information fair.

According to a Toronto Star article, migrant workers say they endured modern-day slavery in Simcoe County. For over a month, Francisco Urbina Contreras lived in an infested house in Barrie with 30 other Mexican men and women "who were drawn to Canada by the promise of jobs." The former small business owner from northern Mexico faced bed bugs underneath his foam mattress, an unheated attic he shared with four others and the long wait for one of two bathrooms at the Dunlop St. home. 

"This is not what we came to this country for, to live and work like animals."

"In 1969 and 2009, respectively 50 and 10 years ago, the African Union (and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity) adopted two instruments on forced migration in Africa: The OAU Convention on the Specific Problems of Refugees in Africa (African Refugee Convention) and the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (IDP or ‘Kampala’ Convention). While the aim of the African Refugee Convention is to provide guidance to states on the protection of persons who have been displaced from other states, the Kampala Convention provides guidance on the protection of persons displaced within the borders of a particular state. Although both instruments have been recognized as ground-breaking African frameworks, the issue of forced displacement remains a daunting challenge on the continent."

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, will be hosting a two-day Conference, on 6 and 7 September 2019 on the theme: “Beyond 50 and 10, beyond the rhetoric: The protection of forced migrants in Africa”.

 Abstracts are due by 30 April 2019.

The North American Refugee Health Conference (NARHC) will be taking place on June 14-16, 2019 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel in Canada. It is the largest refugee health conference of its kind globally, and offers access to recent research, best practices in refugee health, and a excellent opportunity for networking.

​While mass migration has been present since the beginning of mankind, the world is witnessing unprecedented migration of populations to countries throughout Europe and to the southern borders of Canada and the United States. As the Syrian war rages on for an 8th year and as Rohingya villages are burned to the ground in Burma, we are confronted with stories of horror and hardship shared by those who have lived through these experiences. Those that help refugees and asylum seekers often experience this trauma vicariously and struggle as they attempt to manage the complex range of issues and emotions raised through their work. These realities have informed the themes for this year’s conference which will focus on the Rohingya crisis, Trauma and Resiliency.

We are pleased to announce the launch of ECHOES, a series of original contributions hosted by the Global Migration and Health Initiative (GloMHI). 

GloMHI, as a group of scholars and advocates, is interested in understanding the complexity of the migration phenomenon, its global determinants, and migration as a determinant of health. On a monthly basis, we will host original contributions by migrants, advocates, community workers, students, educators, policy makers, and applied researchers, from all over the world, who want to share ideas that contribute to an in-depth understanding of migration and its articulations with health, from multiple perspectives and disciplines.
 
To submit a contribution, please send a one-paragraph proposal to:
​globalmigrationandhealth (at) gmail.com

The Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture (SSPC) is hosting a webinar on the mental health of refugees and im/migrants, specifically the impact of separation on families and children by  Cécile Rousseau and Suzan J. Song. 
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Registration for this webinar is free for students, trainees, and residents, as well as SSPC members. The webinar is free for registrations in low- and middle income countries. It is $5 for non-SSPC members. Early-bird regisration ends March 15.

Webinar Details:
Fri Mar 29 2019, 1:00-2:30pm PDT