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VOL 23 - ISSUE 47
www.theasianstar.com SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2024
Canada's 'flagpoling' ban in effect to stop shortcut visa applications Immigration measures announced as part of Canada’s border response to president-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what’s known as “flagpoling.”
This is when someone who was in Canada on a temporary visa leaves for the U.S. then quickly re-enters Canada to access immigration services at a port of entry. The restriction on providing work and study permits to flagpolers takes effect today. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that going forward temporary visa holders will have to apply online to extend their stay in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency processed more than 69,300 people who engaged in flagpoling in the 20232024 fiscal year. Continued on Page 10...
India alleges widespread trafficking of international students through Canada to U.S. Indian law enforcement agencies say they are investigating alleged links between dozens of colleges in Canada and two “entities” in Mumbai accused of illegally ferrying students across the Canada-United States border. A news release Tuesday from India’s Enforcement Directorate — a mu lt i - d is c ipl i nar y organization that investigates money
laundering and foreign exchange laws — said a multi-city search has revealed “incriminating” evidence of “human trafficking.” The allegations have not been tested in court. The federal government, the RCMP, and Indian high commission in Ottawa, and multiple Canadian college officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Continued on Page 10...
Former Indian PM Manmohan Singh dies at 92
Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Singh was one of India's longest-serving prime ministers and he was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance Continued on Page 15... minister.
Ferries cancelled, and thousands without power on wet and wild Christmas Day B.C. Ferries cancelled sailings the morning of Thursday, Dec. 26 between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, saying the next available sailing will be at 2 p.m. from Tsawwassen and 3 p.m. from Swartz Bay. BC Hydro reports about 5,800 outages at about 9 a.m., the majority in Abbotsford. Continued on Page 2...
CBC CEO tops taxpayer group’s ‘naughty list’ over exec bonuses The head of Canada’s public broadcaster has been among those serving up lumps of coal to Canadians. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s annual “Taxpayer Naughty and Nice list” has given CBC CEO Catherine Tait the top spot in the Naughty column for handing out “Santa-sized” executive bonuses that dwarf the average Canadian’s salary, especially at a time of financial pressure across the country for most people.
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“Santa doesn’t like it when girls and boys are greedy, and forcing struggling taxpayers to pay for Santa-sized executive bonuses is as greedy as it gets,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the CTF. “While Canadians are tightening their belts, CBC executives are living large.” But Tait isn’t alone in the Naughty corner. Global Affairs Canada also made the list after racking up a jaw-dropping $51,000 a month in booze-related expenses. Continued on Page 6...
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