Publications, Research & Reports

This thesis uncovers a process‑centric fairness crisis in Canadian immigration stemming from opaque, poorly accountable ADMs. By articulating a three‑pillar framework (transparency, accountability, ex‑ante rule‑making) and mapping it onto existing legal structures, the work supplies a concrete roadmap for lawyers, policymakers, and scholars to demand and design a more just, auditable immigration system.

This report delivers a human‑rights‑centred, comparative audit of how automated recommendation‑making tools are shaping immigration decisions in three major democracies, exposing systemic bias, opacity, and accountability deficits, and offering a concrete roadmap—particularly for the UK—to embed ethical safeguards, transparency, and robust oversight into any future deployment of such tools.

This article examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, in the management of international migration. It explores the legal and practical considerations for responsible AI implementation by governments, focusing on transparency, regulatory frameworks, and the protection of migrants’ rights.

In this study, the authors evaluate the performance of several widely-used GPT detectors using writing samples from native and non-native English writers. Their findings reveal that these detectors consistently misclassify non-native English writing samples as AI-generated, whereas native writing samples are accurately identified.

This report examines outcomes in Canadian immigration decisions and in the Canadian immigration system that may systematically and unjustifiably disadvantage certain populations based on characteristics such as race and country of origin.

When it comes to examining racism and discrimination within the Canadian immigration system as a whole, authors point to certain areas that need particular attention, one of which centers, as per the focus of this paper, on temporary migration. Indeed, on the subject of migrant workers, the literature is somewhat more tentative as to Canada’s successes.

This community-based research project aims to document the experiences of adult immigrant single men and women who have used shelters and drop-in centres in Toronto, ON and to develop best practices based what was learned in this research phase of the project.

This article suggests the Federal Court could enhance privacy interests in immigration and refugee proceedings without compromising the open court principle. It suggests that any measures taken to protect privacy should be crafted to avoid amplifying unfairness in access to legal materials. The Federal Court must avoid creating access regimes that asymmetrically block research and technological development that could advance the interests of refugees and other displaced people.

This report offers the beginning of a systemic analysis of migration management technologies, foregrounding the experiences of people on the move who are interacting with and thinking about surveillance, biometrics, and automated decision-making during the course of their migration journeys.

In this paper the authors use social psychological and sociological theories to explore the anticipated effects on xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes worldwide. They discuss the implications for the spread of xenophobic and  anti-immigration attitudes, and provide some recommendations for future research in this area.

Based on research conducted between February 2020 and March 2021, this joint report by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documents serious international human rights violations that immigration detainees, particularly persons with psychosocial disabilities, face in Canada.

As part of a project to work with small and medium employers to help them understand the benefits of hiring Newcomer and Racialized workers, ACCES Employment surveyed past program participants with an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) survey about their thoughts, experiences and recommendations, particularly around employment issues pertaining to racial and gender discrimination.

This report introduces the Engagement, Governance, Access, and Protection (EGAP) Framework, developed by Black health sector leaders and health equity experts in Ontario to guide the  collection, management, analysis, and use of race-based data from Black communities in ways that advance health equity.

This report reviews vaccine hesitancy among Indigenous Peoples, Black people, immigrant, and native-born populations in Canada and the U.S.

This paper explores the COVID-19 crisis with a focus on immigration and migration in Canada using a political economy lens.

Differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought deeply rooted inequities to the forefront, where increasing evidence has shown that racialized immigrant and migrant  (im/migrant) populations face a disproportionate burden of COVID-19. This commentary aims to highlight the need for public  health and clinical training, research, and policy to thoughtfully prioritize im/migrant health equity during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study focused on how immigrant artists and creative sector workers are integrated into Toronto’s creative economy – and the services that help them do so. The study has two principal components: 1. Documentation of the services and programs offered to immigrants to Canada who may desire to integrate into Toronto’s creative economy, and 2. An analysis of the entry points used by immigrants to access Toronto’s creative economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified pre-existing inequities in Canadian society and has highlighted the need for more granular data about the social impacts of COVID-19. This release provided an overview of discrimination experienced by Canadians over the course of the pandemic, as well as the relationship between experiences of discrimination and various measures of trust and sense of belonging.

In the late 1980s, the Task Force on Access to the Professions and Trades in Ontario looked into the requirements for entry to Ontario's professions, occupation by occupation. The Task Force undertook a detailed review of the organizational structures of regulated occupations in Ontario, with a view to determining not only if such structures are giving rise to discriminatory practices but also whether they have the potential to do so, depending upon their use and application.

This research examines diversity on boards and in senior management of health care institutions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

In the spring of 2013 DiverseCity contracted Nanos Research to conduct a first-time public opinion poll of residents in municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on the topic of diversity in leadership.

This research examines whether, why and how organizations have embraced diversity in their purchasing and supply chain strategies, policies and practices.

This research examines board diversity in the nonprofit sector, as well as the impact of this diversity.

The focus of this paper is on the electoral participation of visible minorities as both candidates for public office and winners of such positions.

DiverseCity Counts has measured the number of visible minorities in positions of leadership in the largest and most influential employment sectors in the GTA. In 2011 there was a gradual, but significant, increase (8%) in the diversity of GTA leaders over the last three years.

DiverseCity Counts measures on an annual basis the number of visible minorities in leadership positions in elected office, the public sector, the corporate sector, agencies, boards, and commissions, the voluntary sector, and the education sector.

The first annual research report measuring diversity among leaders in the GTA analyzed a total of 3,257 leaders in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Richmond Hill including elected officials, public sector executives, members of agencies, boards and commissions, as well as a sample of the largest voluntary and business organizations as determined by revenue.

This survey-based report explores diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIBs) in Toronto’s tech sector.

The project identified challenges that affect temporary migrants because of their gender and status, focusing on both individual- and system-level resilience.

This report suggests that fair treatment of Canada’s agricultural workers requires several urgent and significant reforms at both the federal and provincial levels.

This report identifies, documents and assesses the many ways that the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been affecting migration, borders, immigrant populations, and Canada’s immigration and settlement system between March, 2020 and June, 2020.

This study explores the effect of human rights violations in countries of origin on migrants' mental health. Findings indicate that high levels of human rights violations in countries of origin have long-term effects on migrants’ mental health (2020).

The authors call for greater attention to this critical population and make nine recommendations that would contribute to solutions in each major issue area impacting the education of Canadian immigrant youth and their entry into the workforce.

This report focuses on the impacts of automated decision-making in Canada’s immigration and refugee system from a human rights perspective.

This report looks at income trends between 1980 and 2015, as well as the income gap between young people, immigrants, racialized groups and the rest of the population in Peel, Toronto and York regions. The findings paint a stark picture of who has access to the opportunities to succeed, and who is being left behind because of circumstances they can’t control.