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Canada to make it easier for Iranians to stay in country – Global News

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The federal government is moving to support Iranian nationals in Canada, amid a bloody crackdown on dissidents in their home country.

The government announced in North Vancouver Thursday that effective March 1, new measures would be in place to allow Iranian temporary residents to prolong stays in Canada.

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“Considering the gross and systemic human rights violations ongoing in Iran, some Iranians who are temporarily in Canada are rightly concerned about returning home at this time,” Natural Resources Minister and North Vancouver MP Johnathan Wilkinson said.



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“We are committed to making it easier for Iranians in Canada to extend their temporary status in Canada and for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to come home, and by prioritizing these cases to ensure that they are processed urgently so that individuals can have peace of mind.”

The new rules will make it easier for Iranians to extend their temporary status in Canada and to move between temporary streams to continue studying, working or visiting family by applying for a new permit while remaining in Canada.

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Wilkinson said the government is also making an open work permit pathway available for Iranians already in the country.

Applications from Iranians already in Canada will be processed on a priority basis, and the government will waive certain processing fees.

Wilkinson said Ottawa will also waive passport and permanent resident travel document fees for Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Iran who wish to leave.



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Along with the immediate changes, the government said it is exploring changes to other programs, including the Human Rights Defenders stream, which has a dedicated, permanent immigration program for people who fight for human rights.

Information on the changes will be available on the the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website starting March 1.

Protests erupted in Iran in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police more than five months ago, leading to a brutal crackdown by the Iranian government.

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The protesters have called for the overthrow of the country’s ruling clerics.

Security forces have attacked the demonstrators with live ammunition, bird shot and batons, rights groups say. At least 530 protesters have been killed and nearly 20,000 people have been arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group monitoring the unrest.

Iranian authorities have blamed the protests on hostile foreign powers, without providing evidence, and have not released official figures for those killed or arrested.

Iran has executed four men accused of violence linked to the protests, and activists say at least 16 others have been sentenced to death.

With files from the Canadian Press

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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