Diana Fund Chief Praises Refugees

Andrew Purkis, chief executive of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, criticized the media last week for their negative coverage of asylum seekers and announced plans to extend education awards for refugee families. Purkis said the media was pursuing an anti-immigrant agenda and ignoring the contributions of young asylum seekers to British society.

"Young refugee and asylum seeker children are spoken about as if they are a problem. This award is about success and showing that diversity, harnessed properly, can be a source of richness," Purkis said.

***

Committee Tours Canada For Opinions On Immigration Bill

A parliamentary committee was in Edmonton Friday as part of a tour to get feedback on Bill C-18, which is now on its second reading in the House of Commons. Advocacy groups say the bill puts too much power in the hands of politicians and promotes racial profiling. Bill C-18 would give federal politicians the power to revoke citizenships and deport immigrants with little resistance.

Vinay Dey, the treasurer of the National Indo-Canadian Council, told the committee the bill would divide citizens into two categories.

"One can do whatever they want because they were born here. The other could have their citizenship stripped if they sneeze in the wrong direction," Dey said.

Rene Mercier, the senior spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said the powers proposed in the bill would be used only in the most extraordinary cases.

"Obtaining a citizenship is a privilege," Mercier said. "Those who got it through lying deserve to lose it."

Afghan Association of Alberta President Hakim Faqiryar said no government should have the right to make those decisions. "A lot of immigrants will be living in fear because of C-18," he said.

***

South Korea Will Issue Permanent Visas To Distinguished Foreigners

South Korea's Justice Ministry said it plans to revise the immigration law to grant permanent visas to foreigners who have made a significant contribution to the nation. Distinguished foreigners will be granted a permanent status nearly on par with South Korean citizens, even if they do not meet the current law's five-year residency requirement.

Lee Deok-ryong, an official at the Justice Ministry's immigration planning bureau, said the beneficiaries will be able to do business, seek employment, attend schools and receive a range of social benefits.

The visas will be given to individuals who helped improve South Korea's international image or evoked pride in South Korean nationals. One potential candidate is Guus Hiddink, a former soccer coach who led South Korea to the World Cup semifinals.

"The measure was prepared in an effort to express gratitude to foreigners who contributed to the country and to remain ties with them," Lee said.