Migrant Rights Network: We Have a Consensus: Permanent Residency & Rights, Not Cuts

/EIN News/ -- TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 100 civil society organizations across Canada from almost every sector of society, including Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Unifor, Canadian Union of Public Employees, National Right to Housing Network, Oxfam, Canadian Health Coalition, Climate Action Network, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, Greenpeace, and the Ontario Federation of Labour are releasing an open letter today calling on the federal government to stop cuts to the immigration system, both temporary and permanent, and introduce measures to prevent exploitation and guarantee permanent resident status for all.

The letter reads: “As leading civil society organizations in Canada, we know that permanent resident status is the key to accessing rights and protections. Canada’s temporary immigration system fuels precariousness and vulnerability and perpetuates systemic discrimination. It needs a fundamental overhaul with a focus on expanding rights and ensuring permanent residency on landing and for all. This government was elected on a pro-immigration platform and promised permanent resident status for migrant workers, students and undocumented people at the start of the current mandate. People across Canada are expecting these promises to be honoured. Not delivering on them will be remembered at the ballot box.

We urge you to ensure permanent resident status for all migrants, protect migrants in Canada from the impacts of recent announcements; implement a comprehensive regularization program, abolish closed work permits, and refuse to cut permanent residency.”

The letter, endorsed by almost every major organization in the country, comes as the federal government is making sweeping changes to immigration policy in response to increasing scapegoating of migrants—at least 775,000 permits have already been cut.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller is due to release his government’s plan on numbers of permanent residents shortly and he has signalled cuts to permanent residency levels—something that has never happened before. For the first time, the plan will also set targets for temporary migrants, as migrant workers and international students have been scapegoated for the housing and affordability crises.

“We are witnessing one of the most egregious rollbacks of migrant rights in Canadian history,” said Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network. “The Liberals, desperate to claw back their sinking poll numbers, have not only slashed over 775,000 work and study permits but are now disgracefully preparing to gut permanent immigration levels. These Conservative-like policies are a complete betrayal of their promises to migrants, undocumented people, and refugees. Cutting permanent resident numbers is a direct assault on migrants who will be forced to remain temporary or become undocumented, pushed further into exploitative jobs. Families will be torn apart and the financial burden on our people will rise. These policies fuel dangerous, racist scapegoating which will only lead to violence. Migrants are not responsible for the housing and affordability crisis—while the population grew by just 3.9% over two years, rents exploded by 20%. The government must abandon this dangerous path, set equal rights for all migrants, and ensure permanent resident status for everyone.”

Read the letter in full below and see latest list of signatories here: https://migrantrights.ca/actionslist/openletterformigrants/

Migrant Rights Network, immigration and housing experts are available for comment before and after the immigration levels announcement.

Contact: Syed Hussan, 416-453-3632, hussan@migrantworkersalliance.org

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Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller: We Have a Consensus: Permanent Residency & Rights, Not Cuts

In response to recent announcements affecting hundreds of thousands of migrants in Canada, including reductions of at least 775,000 study and work permits, as well as suggestions of further reductions in permanent residency, Canada’s civil society is united in calling for immediate and positive action. Together, we represent hundreds of thousands of people across Canada and we strongly believe there is a broad consensus in support of migrants and immigrants in the country. We urge the Canadian government to:

• Stop the implementation of any new immigration measures for temporary foreign workers and current and graduated students already in Canada and immediately provide them with access to permanent residency.
  
• Implement a comprehensive and inclusive regularization program for all undocumented migrants.
  
• Abolish the closed work permit regime to prevent exploitation.
  
• Ensure fairness and equality by guaranteeing permanent resident status for all and reject calls to reduce permanent residency numbers.

Recently Announced Measures Do Not Ensure Rights

Recent announcements will impact migrants in Canada, are being implemented without any additional support and do not provide protections including permanent residency. The federal government is:

• Reducing work permit lengths from two years to one—which will force migrants to pay large sums to recruiters and consultants each year to renew permits.
  
• Refusing to renew post-graduate work permits for migrants who have been working in Canada—many of whom have already applied for permanent residency and lived here for years but aren’t being granted permanent residency because of processing changes.
  
• Ending work permits for family members of migrant workers in high-wage, non-managerial jobs and for most international students.
  
• Imposing language testing requirements for work permits for international students.
  
• Rejecting applications by employers for temporary foreign workers in regions with over 6% unemployment and limiting the number of temporary foreign workers to 10% of an employer's workforce (except in industries like agriculture and care work).
  
• Signaling no further action on the promised regularization program for undocumented migrants.

These Measures Are Unfair and Unjust

Applying these measures to migrants already in Canada who came under a different legal regulatory regime and with a promise of continued work and access to permanent residency is unfair.

• These measures will force thousands of migrants who have already been in Canada for several years—often with their families—to either leave the country or become undocumented.
  
• The denial of permits to families undermines family unity, contradicts federal government commitments to keep families together. Separating families hurts communities.
  
• These rules will significantly increase costs for migrants, who will turn to unscrupulous recruiters and agencies that charge exorbitant fees and spread misinformation, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation. New requirements mean more costs. Those unable to pay will be forced to leave or become undocumented.
  

Comprehensive Action to End Systemic Exploitation

Canada’s immigration policy decisions must be driven by principles of equality and rights for migrants.

• The employer-restricted work permit system and temporary migration schemes have been denounced by the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery as a breeding ground for exploitation. It must end.
• Families deserve to be together. Migrants in all sectors and with any immigration status must have the option to have their families join them.
• Undocumented migrants are denied access to essential healthcare, exploited at work, and live in fear. They already live and work here; regularizing their status is about including them in the family of rights.
• Permanent residency status in Canada is the mechanism through which all other rights are accessed. Capping or reducing permanent residency will mean that more migrants will remain in temporary and exploitable situations.

Migrants and Immigrants Build Our Communities, They Are Not to Blame

Migrant workers, international students, undocumented people and immigrants have invested their time, money, and labour into Canada. Migrants feed our communities, take care of children, sick and the elderly and are essential workers who kept us going during, before and since the COVID-19 pandemic. Most migrants pay taxes and contribute to social services for years without receiving the benefits—they are underwriting our social security and welfare net. A comprehensive regularization program would add over $28 billion in economic growth. Not only will many of the recently announced rules punish migrants already in Canada, but fewer migrants and immigrants will result in overall economic contraction, and hurt small businesses and rural areas.

Migrants are not responsible for Canada’s housing crisis, lack of jobs, or inadequate healthcare or other public services. They often live in some of the worst housing conditions, face extreme exploitation at work, and are denied access to basic services. Recent media coverage and public statements linking them to the affordability crisis are distractions from decades of federal and provincial policies that have underfunded and privatized public services. Reductions to migration numbers lean into these xenophobic ideas, eroding public confidence in immigration policies and resulting in greater racism.

The Path Forward: Permanent Residency for All

As leading civil society organizations in Canada, we know that permanent resident status is the key to accessing rights and protections. Canada’s temporary immigration system fuels precariousness and vulnerability and perpetuates systemic discrimination. It needs a fundamental overhaul with a focus on expanding rights and ensuring permanent residency on landing and for all. This government was elected on pro-immigration platform and promised permanent resident status for migrant workers, students and undocumented people at the start of the current mandate. People across Canada are expecting these promises to be honoured. Not delivering on them will be remembered at the ballot box.

We urge you to ensure permanent resident status for all migrants, protect migrants in Canada from the impacts of recent announcements; implement a comprehensive regularization program, abolish closed work permits, and refuse to cut permanent residency.

Thank you,

Migrant Rights Network

350 Canada

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

Afro-Canadian Positive Network Of BC

Al Dar Immigration Services Inc.

Anakbayan Canada

Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (DTMF | RHFW)

Association of Ontario Midwives

Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network

Au bas de l'échelle

BC Employment Standards Coalition

BC Poverty Reduction Coalition

Broadbent Institute

Butterfly

Canadian Federation Of Nurses Unions

Canadian Federation of Students Ontario

Canadian Health Coalition

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Caregiver Connections, Education and Support Organization

Carrefour d'aide aux non-syndiqués-es

Centre communautaire LGBTQ+ de Montréal

Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia

Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Christie Refugee Welcome Centre

Citizens for Public Justice

CLEF Mitis-Neigette

Climate Action Network

Climate Emergency Unit

Climate Justice Toronto

Clinique pour la justice migrante

Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC

Collaborative Network to End Exploitation

Community Justice Collective

Community Legal Clinic - Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk

Community Peacemaker Teams

Cooper Institute

Council of Canadians

CUPE 3902

CUPE Ontario

Decent Work and Health Network

Dignidad Migrante Society

Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO)

Elementary Teachers of Toronto Union

Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario

FCJ Refugee Centre

Fédération des femmes du Québec

Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec

Foyer du Monde

Friends of Medicare

Greenpeace

Green Majority

HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO)

HIV Legal Network

Illusion Emploi de l'Estrie

Immigrant and Refugee Support Center

Immigrant Workers Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario (IAVGO)

Justice for Workers

Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan

Labour Community Services of Peel

Le Front de défense des non-syndiquéEs

Leadnow

Ligue des droits et libertés

Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre

Manitoba Federation of Labour

Mayworks

MCM-Solutions Justes

Midnight Kitchen Collective

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change

Migrant Workers Centre - BC

Migrante Canada

Mining Injustice Solidarity Network

My Sea to Sky

National Right to Housing Network

National Union of Public and General Employees

No Pride In Police Coalition (NPPC)

Noca Scotia Health Coalition

OCHU-CUPE

Office for Systemic Justice, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada

Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology

OHIP for All

Ontario Federation of Labour

Ontario Nurses' Association

Ottawa Raging Grannies

Oxfam Canada

Oxfam-Québec

PAN

Parkdale Community Legal Services

Parkdale People's Economy

PEERS Alliance

People’s Health Movement- Canada

Pivot Legal society

Projet L.U.N.E.

RAMA Okanagan

Réseau d'action des femmes en santé et services sociaux

Rural Refugee Rights Network

Sanctuary Health

Scarborough Community Legal Services

Service Employees International Union Local 2

Social Planning Toronto

Socialist Action

Southridge Community Church

Student Christian Movement Canada

Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre

Sunshine House Inc.

SWAN Vancouver

TCRI - Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiees et immigrantes

The Labour Studies Program, Simon Fraser University

Toronto & York Region Labour Council

Toronto350

TTCriders

Unifor

Urban Alliance on Race Relations

USWA Local 8330

Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights

Welcome Collective

West Coast LEAF

Worker Solidarity Network

Workers Action Centre

About the Migrant Rights Network:
The Migrant Rights Network is Canada’s largest migrant-led coalition of migrant workers, refugees, undocumented people, students, and allies. Together, we are fighting for equal rights for all migrants in Canada, including full and permanent immigration status for everyone.