Human migration | GlobalPost

Labor, activists call on Obama to halt deportations

Agencia EFEMay 13, 2013 17:00

Washington, May 13 (EFE).- Organized labor and activist groups asked President Barack Obama on Monday that he halt deportations of undocumented immigrants who would be eligible for legalization under bills pending in Congress. "The deportations must stop, and they must stop right now," Ana Avendaño, spokeswoman on immigration topics for the AFL-CIO, said in a teleconference.

Only immigration reform can stop deportations, lawmaker says

Agencia EFEMay 10, 2013 17:46

Washington, May 10 (EFE).- President Barack Obama will not put a halt to deportations of undocumented immigrants until and unless Congress passes immigration reform, Rep. Luis Gutierrez told Efe. Obama could not keep his 2008 promise for immigration reform and made it one of the pillars of his second term, but, according to Gutierrez, the immigrant community "is suffering intensely" due to the deportations.

Figures confirm immigrants' economic importance for Arizona

Agencia EFEMay 9, 2013 19:46

Phoenix, May 9 (EFE).- The state of Arizona would lose $48.8 billion in economic activity and 581,000 jobs if all the undocumented immigrants left the state, according to figures released Thursday. It is estimated that there are approximately 400,000 undocumented immigrants living in the state, a figure that represents 6 percent of the population, according to a report by the Washington-based Immigration Policy Center. In Arizona, Latinos and Asians together represent 32.8 percent of the total population and one-third of them are naturalized citizens.

Survey: Majority support changes to immigration system

Agencia EFEMay 9, 2013 14:05

Washington, May 9 (EFE).- Three-quarters of U.S. residents believe that the immigration system needs major changes, including a path toward legalizing the status of the undocumented population, according to a national survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center. Of the more than 1,500 people surveyed by Pew early this month, 35 percent said the immigration system should be "completely rebuilt."

Artists call for fair immigration reform in U.S.

Agencia EFEMay 8, 2013 03:54

Los Angeles, May 7 (EFE).- About 100 artists and performers on Tuesday issued a call to President Barack Obama and members of Congress to approve an immigration reform package that would put an end to deportations and include a path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. Film stars like Robert Redford, Ed Harris and Edward James Olmos, bands such as R.E.M. and several Pulitzer Prize winners are behind the open letter published on the Migration Is Beautiful Web page, which calls current immigration law "incoherent and inhumane."

Temporary foreign worker program could be distorting labour market needs: report

The Canadian PressMay 7, 2013 19:17

TORONTO - Canada's temporary foreign worker program was under renewed scrutiny Tuesday as a new report suggested the increasingly controversial system "could be distorting" the natural supply and demand of the country's labour market. The study from the University of Calgary's school of public policy suggests Canada isn't facing a wide-scale labour shortage but rather is experiencing a "serious mismatch" between the skills of its residents and the demands of the labour market.

Study: US immigration reform would cost $6.3 trillion

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 18:15

A US political battle raged Monday over the cost of Senate-proposed immigration reform, with a conservative think-tank warning the plan to legalize 11 million undocumented workers would soar to $6.3 trillion. The Heritage Foundation, in a report released shortly before amendments are proposed to the bipartisan bill, said legalized immigrants' costs such as Social Security, Medicaid health care for the poor, and unemployment insurance would stack up dramatically faster than many US lawmakers would realize.

Poll: 71 Pct of Americans back immigration reform

Agencia EFEMay 6, 2013 13:01

Washington, May 6 (EFE).- Seventy-one percent de Americans approve immigration reform that would permit legalization of the undocumented population in the United States. The survey, taken by the Global Strategy Group and Basswood Research, found that 74 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Democrats support the bipartisan plan presented by the Senate's "Gang of Eight." The poll results were released the day before the Senate Judiciary Committee begins the process of hearings and amendments to the bill.

Tennis: Wawrinka beats Ferrer to clinch Portugal title

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 15:32

Stanislas Wawrinka won his first title since 2011 when he upset top seed David Ferrer 6-1, 6-4 to claim the Portugal Open title on Sunday. The Swiss claimed his fourth career trophy, three of which have come on clay. The 28-year-old last won a tournament at Chennai in January two years ago. Ferrer, ranked fourth in the world, was burdened by 31 unforced errors in the 64-minute loss. The win was the second for Switzerland at the tournament after Roger Federer lifted the 2008 title and played the final two years later.

Remittances to Mexico fall nearly 15 pct in March

Agencia EFEMay 2, 2013 15:00

Mexico City, May 2 (EFE).- Remittances sent by Mexicans living abroad fell 14.7 percent to $1.78 billion in March, compared to the same month in 2012, the Bank of Mexico said Thursday. March marked the 9th consecutive month that remittances have fallen, the central bank said. The average remittance totaled $301.27 in March, down from the $335.64 registered in March 2012, the central bank said in its monthly report. A total of 5.9 million transactions, the majority of them electronic funds transfers, were registered last month, the Bank of Mexico said.