Canada's alleged refugee double standard

Plus, the BQ wants Trudeau's Islamophobia point person fired, and a wake up call for home owners [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canada’s Afghan resettlement program, Trudeau’s special representative on combating Islamophobia and upcoming mortgage renewals. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Tom Hanson star exclusive [Why doesn’t Canada treat Afghan refugees like Ukrainians? Because they aren’t “white and Christian,” a complaint alleges ]( The federal government has a double standard that amounts to discrimination when it comes to immigration programs for Afghans and Ukrainians, some Afghan-Canadians are saying. Four men who deployed with the Canadian military to Afghanistan have filed complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, and two of them have settled, the Star has learned. The complaints stem from the fact that the men’s families were left out of the special immigration program launched to help resettle Afghans with a connection to Canada, Stephanie Levitz reports. [Here’s what we know about the different resettlement programs and the government’s response](. - More: The men were language and cultural advisers for the Canadian Armed Forces. - The aftermath: Since the complaint was filed in May, at least two of the men have alleged that their family members have been detained and tortured by the Taliban. - Word from the government: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have argued there were no grounds to claim discrimination on the basis of national origin. But as a result of the settlement with two of the men who filed complaints, the government must implement a new public policy to expand eligibility for Canada’s Afghan resettlement program. Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick federal politics [Justin Trudeau should fire his point-person on Islamophobia — and get rid of her job, too, BQ leader says]( Amira Elghawaby has said she’s “extremely sorry” for a previous remark about Quebec’s controversial secularism law. A column she co-wrote in 2019 said “the majority of Quebecers appear to be swayed not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment.” For Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, the apology isn’t nearly enough; he wants her and the new position gone, Raisa Patel reports. [Take a look at the support Elghawaby is receiving — and what was behind the push for her role to exist](. - Context: Quebec’s secularism law bans people who deliver public services from wearing religious symbols, including hijabs. - Shree Paradkar’s take: For Elghawaby, surviving this witch hunt won’t be through civility — [she needs to stick to the ugly truth](. - Susan Delacourt’s take: Character assault. Contempt. [This week showed us the ugly, sneering face of Canadian politics](. Nick Kozak for The Star real estate [The homeowner horror story: “My mortgage is up for renewal”]( Seven years after buying her home, Josie Dye still has a mortgage of about $680,000. With her mortgage renewal coming up in a few months, she fears she’s in for a mountain of additional interest. About 1.1 million Canadian households have renewals this year and after eight consecutive rate hikes, they’re set to face a sharp rise in monthly payments, May Warren reports. [Here’s how homeowners are bracing for the storm](. - More: “For some people who are looking at renewals this year, they are getting a bit stressed in terms of how much that amount is going to be compared to what they had before,” said mortgage broker and LowestRates.ca expert Leah Zlatkin. - Go deeper: According to the federal government, many Canadians are worried about money more than anything else — including relationships, health and work. Almost half have lost sleep due to financial stress. - Another angle: Have a variable rate mortgage? [Here’s what the latest rate hike means for you](. - Meanwhile: [GTA home prices are plunging]( at a rate not seen since the 1990s. WHAT ELSE An extreme cold warning has been issued for Toronto. [Look out for these freezing temperatures today and tomorrow](. Mike Schreiner hasn’t decided his next move. [But if the Liberals want him, they should join the party, the Ontario Greens say](. The Law Society will seek an injunction to [stop Metrolinx from removing Osgoode Hall trees](. [Toronto’s vacant home tax deadline has been extended]( as many homeowners failed to respond. New gas plants will cost more to build and operate than renewable energy options would. [So why build them?]( Pandemic drinking caused a rise in hospital visits, an Ontario study found. [Here’s what you need to know](. A teacher has been charged with [sexual exploitation of a Toronto student](. Toronto health inspectors have [found major infractions at these restaurants in the past week](. [Could a minor drone strike be a catalyst for renewed nuclear talks]( between Iran and the West? Canada’s fourth carrier will be competitive — [but not competitive enough to hurt Rogers]( its CEO says. Seven bucks for a latte? Coffee prices have reached “silly” levels in the GTA – [but consumers keep playing](. Will Prince Harry attend? The King Charles coronation drama is heating up — [what do the Spice Girls have to do with it?!]( ICYMI Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star Photo Illustration [As food costs soar and self-checkouts multiply, more people are stealing — and they’re not sorry.]( CLOSE-UP civitai.com screenshot THE INTERNET: Images that users have uploaded to Civitai.com reference the YouTube channel of digital artist Sam Yang. Yang says hundreds of his creations have been “scraped” and compiled into an algorithmic model that AI users deploy in ways that he says violate his copyright. [Take a closer look at Canadians’ fight against AI](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_165067). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](