Plight
Sorrow / is backed up at your border / It is another day in the life of the world / on its head / Sorrow and need / are lined up / and leaning against the line / you have drawn around yourself
-
-
Matthew house makes room
“I don’t really like politics” is a sentiment I have heard countless times, even in Christian communities. But immigration, like many other things, is political. Canadians involved in welcoming refugees spoke to Christian Courier (CC) about how to get political by supporting refugee resettlement. “Getting to Canada is only the beginning,” says Kailee Brennan, Executive…
-
‘You get here with a broken heart’
As a child, my family was separated due to immigration policies and now I’m a migration scholar. I have long pondered: whose lives and families are valued and devalued by state policies? Who can count on having a nuclear and extended family by their side? I now know; family separation is a constant feature of…
-
A frosty welcome for seasonal workers
Many of us enjoy the fresh fruit and vegetables that are so abundant at farmstands and grocery stores at this time of year, but how often do we think of the human cost of this abundance? Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is often described as a “triple-win” for origin countries, Canada, and migrant workers;…
-
1950: the bridge crossing
It was a Saturday evening. June 3, 1950. We were crossing a long bridge and entering Prince Edward County. At the wheel was Mr. John VanderVliet, the fieldman for Dutch immigrants. My father, mother, brother and I sat in the back seat, filled with anticipation and apprehension. Our beginnings in Canada thus far had been…
-
From Cuba to Miami: an unplanned pilgrimage
In January 2025, life for pastors Obed and Alay Martinez changed dramatically. Carrying only the luggage they needed for a short trip, they flew from their home in Cuba to Miami. They were visiting their children and grandchildren, who had lived there for 20 years. “When I saw my grandchildren for the first time in…
-
Drastic cuts to Canadian refugee numbers
On January 27, Fosiyo Iye Fidow heard that all flights for refugees travelling from Kenya to Canada are cancelled. All refugees waiting for flights have been asked to wait until further notice, and no reason was given. Fosiyo’s application to come to Canada was approved in June 2023. All requirements have been met: security checks,…
-
Resisting ICE with non-violence
When Dan and Emily Coyne attend Sunday services at their church in Evanston, Illinois, they bring their Bibles – and their whistles. The Bibles are so they can follow along with sermons. The whistles are to warn their neighbours if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are in the area. “They’re with us all the…
-
Canada | Immigration | Indigenous | Opinion
Is belonging a crime?
In November 2024 I was involved in a public event at Toronto’s Church of the Redeemer, a historic Anglican church with beautiful stained glass and some monuments related to the First World War. Our event was called “Voices for Peace.” The organizing team represented five different organizations and networks: the Henri Nouwen Society, the International…
-
History | Immigration | Reformed | Reviews
Reading the Dutch CRC World War II Experience
For me, reading about the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands can bring about a visceral response. Recently, for example, I was seized with waves of terror while listening to an audiobook version of The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written by the People Who Lived Through It by Nina Siegal. In…
-
Immigration | Interview | News
The case for immigration
Last August, Toronto immigration lawyer Paul Vander Vennen was honoured with the Bikila Award for Professional Excellence for decades-long service with the Ethiopian community. The award is named after marathoner Abebe Bikila, the first African to win an Olympic gold medal. Paul is the son of Mary, a splendid concert pianist and therapist, and the…
-
History | Immigration | News
Forgotten disaster
It was tobacco harvesting time and the days were long, so the Hovius family was in bed early. At 9 p.m. they were startled awake by a loud knocking. It was the driver for Keillor Construction. He told them there had been an accident in Dresden, where their father, Enne, and their oldest brother, Wiebrand,…
