Migrant Workers/Caregivers

One of the places where systemic racism is the most apparent in our immigration system is in its treatment of domestic and migrant workers.

It is my firm belief that if you’re good enough to work, you’re good enough to stay.

For caregivers and domestic workers, justice means PR status upon arrival. Domestic workers, who are mostly women of colour from developing nations, are the only class of economic immigrants who are not given PR status upon arrival. Instead, they must endure precarious working conditions with uncertain immigration status and futures as they navigate pilot program after pilot program. As they care for Canadian families, the lack of PR status separates the workers from their own families.

For temporary migrant workers, it is long known that employer specific work permits put them in highly vulnerable situations where abuse and exploitation by employers are rampant.

The Canadian immigration must treat workers with justice and respect. No more abuse of migrant workers! Landed status now!

Householder Spring 2025: Liberals Gutting Immigration Services and IRCC Staff Puts Lives at Ris

VIDEO: Message to Mark Carney on renewed vision for immigration and economic security

Message to Mark Carney and other party leaders, calling on a renewed vision for immigration and in the face of deepening public concern for Canada's economic security. Now is a critical time to highlight the reciprocal relationship between immigration and a strong economy, and trends in anti-immigrant sentiment, driven by disinformation, must be addressed.

Toronto Star: This new Canadian immigration program is being heavily promoted by recruiters. Here’s why that’s causing concern

While foreign caregivers welcome the government move to grant them permanent residence upon arrival, Dulaca said Ottawa needs to immediately provide details about eligibility criteria, application procedures, applicable job experience and what documents are required and accepted. Details should not be released only on the opening day.

The concern is echoed by MP Jenny Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic.

“There are serious concerns over the lack of any word from you on the details of such a program,” Kwan (Vancouver East) wrote in a December letter to Miller. “There is fear that your government could go back on its promise and that the new PR Pathway for Caregivers may not be put in place at all.”

HANSARD: What happened to caregivers' PR on arrival promised by the government?

Hill Times NEWS: Liberals’ new tone on immigration proves ‘Bloc was right,’ says critic, as NDP calls it a ‘flimsy attempt to cover their political behinds’

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C), her party’s immigration critic, told The Hill Times the Liberals’ change in tone is a “flimsy attempt to cover their political behinds” after making “a complete mess of Canada’s immigration system.”

“The reality is that successive Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to deliver the housing that Canadians need for over 30 years,” Kwan said. “Instead of owning that problem that they have created, they’ve decided to point their fingers at migrants and international students and to blame them for the housing crisis.”

Kwan said that reducing Canada’s immigration targets will have “dire” unintended consequences, but ones that the Liberals should be able to foresee nonetheless.

“Canada’s economy will struggle as a result of this, and the ripple effect will be significant,” Kwan said, adding that she believes the Liberals are more focused on ways to “shirk responsibility for their failures” than the economic impacts of the solution.

“Our economy relies on these workers and international students, and we will be faced with a dire situation of not having the workers to fill those positions,” Kwan said, adding that some post-secondary institutions will need to begin downsizing faculty to account for the loss in revenue.

“Instead of dealing with the real problems, they’ve turned to blame someone else,” Kwan said.

Canadian Press News: Miller to propose more changes to immigration and asylum system

One of the protesters from the group Migrant Workers Alliance for Change told the minister "we are the people you're trying to kick out of this country," as the minister exited the committee room.

The group of around 20 people was escorted from the building by officers of the Parliamentary Protective Service.

In her line of questioning, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan brought up calls to reverse the recent immigration changes.

Canadian Press NEWS: NDP calls on federal government to allow open work permits for temporary workers

The committee’s report found that system creates conditions that can lead to exploitation and abuse.

NDP MPs Jenny Kwan and Matthew Green say the government needs to take this a step further by allowing all temporary workers access to open work permits in an effort to prevent abuse.

“The reality is, if you’re tied to one specific employer, you are really at their behest to do what they demand of you,” Kwan said.

“No matter what the abuse is, no matter if you’re faced with wage theft, with harassment, with violence, for women, with sexual harassment — you just have to live with it.”

She said the least the federal government can do to curb abuse in the temporary worker system is end the closed work permit system.

CBC NEWS: MPs Green and Kwan lead NDP calls on feds to allow open work permits for temporary workers

The committee's report found that the system creates conditions that can lead to exploitation and abuse.

NDP MPs Jenny Kwan and Matthew Green say the government needs to take this a step further by allowing all temporary workers access to open work permits in an effort to prevent abuse.

"The reality is, if you're tied to one specific employer, you are really at their behest to do what they demand of you," Kwan said.

"No matter what the abuse is, no matter if you're faced with wage theft, with harassment, with violence, for women, with sexual harassment — you just have to live with it."

She said the least the federal government can do to curb abuse in the temporary worker system is to end the closed work permit system.

The committee also recommended increasing the number of unexpected, on-site workplace inspections and developing a plan to provide more permanent residency pathways to low-wage and agricultural workers.

More than half of workplace inspections take place virtually, according to the report.

CPAC NEWS: NDP, labour call on Liberals to abolish closed work permits

OTTAWA — NDP critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) and NDP critic for Labour Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre) announces a plan to end the exploitation of migrant workers in Canada. They are joined by Elizabeth Kwan from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and Derek Johnstone from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).