Blog

Photo by antonio molinari on Unsplash We are pleased to give friends of COMPASS a voice to share their thoughts relating to our work. This post and the previous one comprise a short series written by one of our interns. Rekiat explores the importance of engaging an accurate, compassionate, and respectful migration narrative. She callsRead more

Photo by Frank Alarcon on Unsplash We are pleased to give friends of COMPASS a voice to share their thoughts relating to our work. This post and the next one comprise a short series written by one of our interns. Rekiat explores the importance of engaging an accurate, compassionate, and respectful migration narrative. She callsRead more

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash Canada’s system for deciding asylum claims typically focuses on the person’s credibility, their ability to prove their identity, the evidence they can provide to support their claim of persecution, the severity of the threats they are facing, and the conditions of their country in general. It is such aRead more

Photo by Kevin Bückert on Unsplash Over the past few days, I have read of people who have legal, though unresolved, immigration standing being drawn out of churches by a buzz on their ankle bracelet and then arrested by ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement in the U.S.). I have read about arrest quotas that endRead more

Photo by Roxanne Desgagnés on Unsplash The frigid air in Canada and the United States is not just because of a polar vortex. At a deeper level, it is rooted in a growing coldness toward people who have come to these countries seeking protection and a chance to live at all, never mind having aRead more

Have you heard? Parties on both sides of the Canada-U.S. Border are bracing for a significant movement of migrants and refugee asylum seekers in response to signals of mass deportations to be executed by the incoming U.S. presidential regime. So, what is happening? There is indication that the National Guard in the United States willRead more

Every year the federal government surveys several stakeholders to ask about ideal immigration levels. This exercise is about putting a thumb on the pulse of acceptability of things such as our humanitarian efforts. The general response is one of valuing immigration, having concern for people needing protection, and balancing resources to ensure sustainability of infrastructureRead more

To what end do we look at the migrant, or the one seeking protection, or the refugee, or even the immigrant, as someone who is only here to take advantage of our way of life and our resources? Note the question. It does not ask whether the perception is true or not. It asks, whatRead more

Canada curbing asylum seekers. From Mexico. Because there are too many seeking asylum in Canada and only a small percentage get accepted. (Is it safe to say the system is working to ensure only those who need protection get it?) Are we open to more of the story? From 2014-2023, there were 7,454 people fromRead more

Presence. People. Peace. “God never pretended that the arrival of Jesus was a quick fix for humanity’s woes. From day one, Jesus was swaddled in suffering.” – Brian Morykon, 2023. These words landed in my inbox on the first day of December. A great thought to sit in when reading news headlines about what is goingRead more