Canada Rises Language Requirements for Immigrants Naturalization
Canada has put forth today a proposal to require a level 4 of English or French to measure verbal fluency of immigrants applying for citizenship in that country, an initiative considered discriminatory by experts. According to a statement from the Conservative government, this measure forces judges in charge of granting naturalization ” to have objective evidence of the applicant’s language skills.”
Authorities currently test the mastery of both official languages through a written exam, which also assessed knowledge about Canada and responsibilities of its citizens.
But they consider this evidence “insufficient to ensure effective communication and integration with Canadians.”
If the new rule comes into force, then it would force those who do not pass the speaking test to have an interview with a citizenship judge to assess their case.
Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Council of Immigrant Service Agencies of Ontario, was concerned with the ruling because it could discriminate against immigrants from non-English speaking countries.
Naomi Alboim, former deputy minister of Immigration described the proposal as counterproductive and predicted that it will result in the exclusion of a significant mass of workers who can boost the national economy.
Each year Canada receives at least 250,000 foreigners in search of job opportunities attracted by the country´s alleged need to meet the rapid aging of its population.
This sector will be responsible for 80 percent of population growth in the northern nation in 2031, according to a recent study by Ipsos Reid companies and Postmedia News.
But Ottawa will reject 300,000 professional immigrants who have applied for work since 2008 with a law to retroactively eliminate those requests.
Dengue Grows in Dominican Republic, two Deaths Reported
The Dominican Republic reports that until today there were over 3,000 cases of Dengue for this year with a significant increase of that sickness during last week, and the death of two people, according to medical sources.
Now the number of deaths has risen to 10 including some children, a sector most vulnerable to the disease.
Reports indicate that at least 8 cases are diagnosed daily at the Paediatric Hospital Robert Reid and also in Santo Socorro, Luis Eduardo Aybar and the Maternity Los Mina in Santo Domingo, where two girls of 11 months and 10 years, died last week , according to data given by the president of the Dominican Medical Association, Amarilis Herrera.
However, the chief epidemiologist of Los Mina, José Sechoerer, said only one patient died because of Dengue, the other was a victim of septicaemia.
By the end of last month Public Health vice minister Nelson Rodriguez had confirmed that more than 2,500 people have been admitted to hospitals due to Dengue and the number of deaths was 8.
Those statistics indicate an increased in the disease taking into account the same period of 2011, when 800 less cases had been reported cases with only two deaths.
Rodriguez has recommended that people with fever, headache and muscle aches take the necessary measures.
Nigerian President Orders Arrest of Students Killers
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday ordered security agencies to fish out and bring to book the perpetrators of the massacre of students in Mubi in the northeastern state of Adamawa.
The Nigerian leader described the killings as tragic, sad, barbaric and shocking.
At the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, the president called on security agencies to investigate the matter and get to the root of the matter because this kind of incidence where people are called out and shot is really shocking.
Gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram members, reportedly killed some students of Federal Polytechnic, Adamawa State University, the School of Health Technology and the University of Maiduguri, all in Mubi on Tuesday.
More than 25 students of the institutions living off campus were reportedly killed by the gunmen while and many others were injured.
The FEC members took turn to condemn the act and call for full investigations with a view to bringing the culprits to justice.