An effort to inform potential asylum-seekers that crossing the border is no free ride to a new Canadian life appears to be working as their numbers continue to rapidly dwindle – but the start of the school year is also playing a role. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which is monitoring the reception of asylum seekers at the most popular irregular crossing south of Montreal, says the number of processed claims has plunged to 10-50 on recent days from a peak of several hundred daily arrivals earlier in the summer.

Montreal is temporarily opening its Olympic Stadium as a shelter to host a sudden increase in asylum seekers arriving from the US. [...] Many of them have been denied asylum in the US and are hoping for a second chance on the other side of the border.

The Buderim-based Buddies Refugee Support Group is again calling for hosts for the Learn English Holiday program, which pairs refugees and Sunshine Coast residents for a week-long exchange. Fergus Fitzgerald of Buddies said he considered the exchange one of the organisation's flagship programs due to its immense benefits to both parties. "For the asylum seekers and refugees, sometimes this is the first time they've stayed in a normal family setting since they've fled their home,” he said.

Among the initiatives is a collaboration with KulturLeben Berlin in order to promote the participation of the socially disadvantaged in the cultural life of the city. Tickets for films screening as part of the festival will be available to people with low incomes at a 50% discount. In an effort to show its appreciation for their engagement and to promote cultural exchange, the Berlinale has asked volunteers from the city’s non-profit refugee aid organizations to register as mentors and accompany refugees to the screenings.