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Written by Hanna Lee Copy Editor, Digital News
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Good morning. The federal immigration department may be in for a painful situation, as the permits of just over two million temporary residents have expired or are expiring this year. The question now is — will they leave? We'll also look at the deadly protests in Iran and who is behind the surge in violence on public transit.
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THE LATEST
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- People inside Iran describe heavy security and scattered damage in the first calls to the outside world since communications were halted during a crackdown on nationwide protests.
- NATO once tried to ignore Greenland. U.S. threats mean the alliance is now talking about improved Arctic security.
- Even for some Republicans who broadly support U.S. President Donald Trump, a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is a line that shouldn't be crossed, writes Mike Crawley.
- Although overall alcohol consumption has fallen, Canadians who do consume it are drinking more, says a new report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
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FEATURED STORIES
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(Pratyush Dayal/CBC)
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2.1 million temporary residents will have expired or expiring permits this year. But will they leave Canada?
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Last year, 1.49 million temporary residents had their permits expire. Another 1.4 million are set to expire this year, for a total of 2.9 million over the two years, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The process will be painful, one lawyer said.
What's happening: According to IRCC, there were 395,000 permanent residency (PR) spots available last year, with another 380,000 this year. That leaves at least 2.1 million people with expired or near-expiring visas, excluding study permit or permit extension holders. Under its new immigration plan, IRCC is capping PR admissions at below one per cent of the population after 2027, while temporary residents will be reduced to less than five per cent by the end of that year.
The reaction: The department is working off the assumption that everyone with expiring permits will return home, said Lou Janssen Dangzalan, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer. Canada was once seen as a place to easily obtain PR; for the many who sold all their assets back home and incurred huge debts, that might mean going undocumented. It presents a difficult situation for a government with already-limited resources for enforcement.
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What's happening in Iran? Breaking down the deadly protests shaking the country
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Nationwide protests have been shaking Iran for weeks. Beginning as a response to soaring prices, they've expanded into wider anti-government action against the clerical rulers who have governed the country for nearly 50 years.
What's happening: The protests were sparked Dec. 28 by shopkeepers shutting down their stores because the currency had collapsed, making it impossible to do business. Basic items like chicken had spiked in price, while some items have disappeared from shelves entirely. More than 500 people have died so far in the unrest, according to a U.S.-based rights group. Observers have called it extraordinary, likely among the largest the country has seen since 2022.
The cause: Tehran is still reeling from its 12-day war with Israel in June. Meanwhile, in September, the UN reimposed sanctions on the country over its nuclear program. All told, Iran's rial has collapsed, leading to a widening crisis. Now, Iranians are revolting against their theocratic leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and calling for sweeping political change. But the regime is unlikely to collapse for now, said Kamran Bokhari of the New Lines Institute. Still, he said, "something's got to give."
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‘Frequent flyers’ behind surge in violence on public transit
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A relatively small number of people are committing a disproportionate number of violent crimes on public transit — in particular in Edmonton, where such crime more than doubled from 2015 to 2024.
What's happening: Twenty-two per cent of offenders are responsible for nearly half the crime on transit, according to the Edmonton Police Service. Our reporter, Eric Szeto, accompanied local police last month as they patrolled transit. Within 20 minutes, three people were arrested, two of whom had been previously banned from the transit system due to previous offences.
What's next: There are signs the problem is easing in Edmonton, after peaking in 2023. But all levels of government are saying they're trying to address the issue. Homelessness hit a new high in the city in 2024. As a result, the city is funding more winter warming spaces, while the province is funding 50 more police officers in Edmonton. And the federal government has already introduced a bill meant to make it harder for repeat and violent offenders to get bail. But the solution will likely be a multi-faceted effort, said acting Sgt. Scott Nolt of the Edmonton police.
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