June 20th marks World Refugee Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees around the world. 

The UNHCR has also released its annual global trends report today. According to a CBC News Article, Canada took in 28,100 of the 92,400 refugees who were resettled in 25 countries in 2018. 

A striking concern however is that "the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict worldwide ballooned to over 70 million — the highest level since the Second World War and an increase of more than two million from a year earlier — an overall total that would amount to the world's 20th most populous country."

Our new blog ECHOES features an original contribution by Professor Warren Dodd and Ms. Amy Kipp where they discuss migration from rural Honduras and the role on investment in increasing opportunities for educated youth. In their article, they describe how 97% of the graduating class was planning to migrate away from the community.

Read more here.

According to an article in the Toronto Star, Doug Ford's government is removing the child benefit that assists families on welfare with providing food and clothing for their children.

"The cut, buried in April’s provincial budget, will end the Transition Child Benefit which provides up to $230 per month, per child in families on welfare who are not receiving the Ontario and Canada child benefits, such as refugee claimants."

The cut is scheduled to start November 1 and will impact an average of 16,000 children a month province-wide, according to the government.

The Carework Network is organizing a 3-day conference to bring together carework researchers from across disciplines and across the globe. The conference will be exploring important topics such as migrant care work and gig work.

The conference will take place from June 9-11, 2019 at Hart House, University of Toronto. Registration is currently open.

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. 

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.

Our new blog ECHOES features an original contribution by one of our own GloMHI Members, Professor María del Mar Pastor Bravo. In the article, she discusses the challenges of addressing the health care needs of immigrant women who suffered female genital mutilation/cutting in Spain. 

Read more here.

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."