Palestinian Granted Refugee Status in Canada 

A Palestinian man, believed to be in his early 20’s, has been granted refugee status by Canada. The man, who currently lives in Toronto, cannot be identified because he has been classified as a refugee who is fleeing for his life. The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board rarely grant Palestinians refugee status but made an exception in this case. The man’s case was approved based on his claim that he was tortured by Palestinians for not participating in the armed struggle against Israel. Canadian officials fear that the decision could spark a flood of similar applications.

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Kurdish Immigrant Sentenced to Life in Prison for “Honor Killing” 

In a story that has shocked Sweden, a Kurdish immigrant has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his daughter. The man claimed that, because his daughter chose an independent lifestyle and wanted to marry a Swede instead of returning to Turkey for an arranged marriage, she was a disgrace to the family.  Fadime Sahindal, 26, died of two gunshot wounds to the head from close range. Her father, Rahmi Sahindal, 56, received the toughest sentence allowed under Swedish law. The court added that being provoked by his daughter’s lifestyle choice “doesn’t in any way” mitigate the crime.

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Taxi Drivers Strike in Greece to Protest Penalties for Driving Illegals

 Hundreds of taxi drivers in Greece went on strike early this week to protest a law penalizing the drivers for carrying illegal immigrants. The law states that drivers can be subjected to police checks, and if they are found to be carrying an illegal immigrant, they can be fined or have their taxi confiscated. The drivers are demanding the same treatment as bus drivers, who are not penalized for carrying illegals. The taxi drivers argue that they do not have the authority to legally carry out necessary checks on their passengers to determine the passengers’ immigration status.