Autumn 2019

When Alaa Al Saleh migrated from Syria to Canada in 2018 with his wife and two young sons, he says the support they received from their sponsorship group helped them start a good life. But not all experiences within Canada’s private refugee sponsorship program are so smooth. In our Migration Issue, U of T law prof Audrey Macklin examines the sometimes fraught relationship between refugees and sponsors. Prof. Joseph Carens of political science explores a country’s moral responsibility to migrants. And we take a closer look at Toronto’s Sanctuary City policy.

Featured Posts

Hanaa Al Bitar, Jennifer Nagel and Alaa Al Saleh are sitting in a grassy field on Centre Island, looking at Mohamad Al Saleh, who is standing. Nagel is smiling and Saleh is leaning against a tree.

The Power of Good Intentions

Canada’s program of private refugee sponsorship has been held up as a model for the world. Could it be even better? Read More

A couple and two children coloured in blue are standing at the centre with suitcases and surrounded by miniature-sized buildings and trees

In Search of Safe Refuge

Toronto calls itself a sanctuary city. What does this mean in practice? Read More

In the foreground, a family of five, with two young girls and a toddler in a stroller, stand facing the border gates in the background. An elderly couple and another adult stand a few feet away also facing the gates.

What Do Borders Really Do?

Lines on a map confer advantages on some and exclude others. This serves political needs, but is it morally just? Read More

Students Quinn Underwood and Swarochish Goswami are working on a laptop while seated on a bench outdoors. Other students are sitting on grass in the background.

Welcoming the World

Canadians take pride in their model of multiculturalism. We need to remind ourselves of why it’s worked so well Read More

In This Issue

IV bags hanging from dollar signs that are, in turn, hanging from an IV pole

In Sickness and in Health

What happens when someone with precarious immigration status needs emergency care? Read More

A woman carrying folders and a suitcase and standing in a circle marked by a red perforated line is looking down at dotted lines

The Hard Labour of Finding Good Work

Migrants are determined to find jobs, but face systemic barriers Read More

An opened notebook with a barbed wire binding shows a mother and daughter behind a 5x7 grid of boxes, with eight boxes marked randomly with a red 'X'

Immigration Detention

When it comes to who can be detained, and for how long, there is much discretion Read More

A father with a suitcase holding an umbrella over himself and his son, both of them looking at a residential building

Home Truths

Toronto’s housing crunch affects many residents, but newcomers with few resources are especially vulnerable Read More

Three children playing in a playground next to a building with a white picket fence with an entrance shaped like a hand

The Freedom to Learn

Toronto schools aim to provide a safe space for children, regardless of citizenship status. But there are flaws that need to be addressed Read More

Five hands holding the national flags of Canada, U.S., China, India and Brazil

In What City Were You Born?

We asked 100 U of T students, faculty and staff. More than half said they came from outside Canada Read More

A framed black and white photo of Rodney Bobiwash hanging on a white wall above two awards, one a stone carving of an eagle and the other a stone carving of a grizzly bear on a rock, both on wooden plaques

A Heart of Courage

As director of U of T’s First Nations House, Rodney Bobiwash fought for the rights of Indigenous people. He also embodied the Anishinaabe virtues of humility and approachability Read More