Senate spares impaired immigrant drivers from ‘sledgehammer’ penalty
The Senate has passed a critical amendment to the Impaired Driving Act that would spare permanent residents sentenced to less than six months from being deported.
Immigration and Integration
WATCH: Migration is What You Make It – Senator Ratna Omidvar at the Centre for Global Development
In May 2018, Senator Ratna Omidvar participated in an event at the Center for Global Development in Washington D.C. as it launched the first report of their new Migration, Displacement and Humanitarian Policy Program
Tougher impaired driving penalty ‘a double whammy’ for immigrants
“A permanent resident in the same situation would pay the fine and face deportation,” Omidvar added. “It is a double whammy not on all people but just on a class of people. That’s an unintended consequence. The impact on permanent residents would be huge and disproportionate to what a Canadian would get.”
Will the Senate pass the cannabis bill tonight? No one knows for sure
Independent Ontario Sen. Ratna Omidvar secured enough support for an amendment that would protect immigrants or refugees convicted of relatively minor cannabis-related offences from being barred from getting their citizenships, or from deportation. The government will consider that amendment if the bill passes tomorrow, sources said.
OPINION: Asylum seekers are not causing a crisis for Canada
We can handle the number of people coming through “irregular” border crossings. The only real crisis is the rhetoric that is picking up as the weather finally improves, writes Ratna Omidvar.
WATCH: Immigration Consequences Around Bill C-45
On April 30 2018, Senator Ratna Omidvar asked witnesses testifying before the Senate's Social Affairs Committee about the potential impacts Bill C-45 in its current form could have on permanent residents and other immigrants, as well as the legal issues around social sharing of cannabis. This is part of the Senate's ongoing examination of Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act.
Environics Institute: Canadian public opinion about immigration and minority groups
Results of this latest survey show that Canadians as a whole continue to be more positive than negative about the current levels of immigrants coming to this country, and with the legitimacy of refugees who have been arriving.
WATCH: Ratna Omidvar on Migration for the World Economic Forum
Watch Senator Ratna Omidvar as she offers an global perspective of the politics and development of migration around the world, from climate change to impacts on the labour market.
OPINION: Amazon HQ2 Would Be Yet Another Great Canadian Immigration Story
In Toronto, Amazon's HQ2 would be yet another successful immigration story. This year, Amazon must choose whether to stay in America or apply for dual citizenship in Canada, where the right types of investments are underway. All they have to do is say "yes."
Foreward – World Economic Forum’s “Migration and Its Impact on Cities” Report
We hope that his report will help to inform city leaders of the innovative approaches they can take
to address the issue of migration in their cities, recognizing the opportunities presented by migration
and leveraging public-private collaboration to maximise the opportunities and find smart and efficient
ways of delivering urban infrastructure and services to meet the needs of its migrant population.