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!

iPolitics: Feds introduce border security bill to address ‘irritants’ for White House

NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party’s critic for immigration and public safety, said the bill “should be alarming to many Canadians.”

“What we’re looking at is the government giving authority, broad-sweeping authority within government to cancel applications, to withdraw applications, to suspend applications, even those that are already in the inventory that is under process,” Kwan said of the proposed changes to the immigration system. “The other thing that the bill would enable is for people’s private information to be shared, and much of this authority is not prescribed in the legislation, but rather it will come out later on by regulation. So, that is to say we actually don’t even know how it is going to work.”

“I am very concerned that people’s privacies would be breeched. I’m very concerned that those who have submitted claims in the immigration system will, all of a sudden, find their application being withdrawn. And so, these are some of the measures that the government is bringing forward with this bill.”

The Conservatives did not respond to iPolitics‘ questions regarding whether they would support the proposed legislation.

Global News: Canada aims to tighten asylum rules, combat fentanyl with new border bill

NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan took particular issue with the proposed government powers to suspend immigration applications and enhanced information sharing, which she called “alarming,” as well as the lack of a clear appeals process.

“They’re putting in all kinds of limitations, really trying to effectively prevent people from accessing asylum claims here in Canada,” she told reporters in Ottawa.

“Canada may as well just say to the international community, ‘We no longer support asylum seekers.’ They may as well just be honest about that.”

BBC: Canada proposes sweeping immigration and security bill

Jenny Kwan, a member of parliament from the left-leaning New Democratic Party, said the bill "should be alarming to many Canadians".
A big chunk of the new legislation deals with curbing the flow of fentanyl and illegal weapons across the US-Canada border - an issue that US President Donald Trump has used as justification for his tariffs on Canada.

Canadian Press: Federal bill includes new security powers to tighten border, immigration system

NDP public safety and immigration critic Jenny Kwan disagreed with the minister, saying the bill "should be alarming to many Canadians" because it would allow the government to breach civil liberties.

Kwan said she was particularly concerned about the planned powers to share immigration-related information and cancel applications already in the system.

She said a prospective newcomer to Canada could follow the required steps and "out of the blue, after this bill passes, the government can then just decide, 'I'm sorry, I'm just going to withdraw your application. I'm going to suspend your application. I'm just going to deny your application.'

"Is that striking a fair balance of civil liberties? I think not."

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

Cutting 3,300 immigration staff will only create further chaos and delays in processing at IRCC. Many of the immigration streams are already faced with severe processing delays. We have seen little to no improvements on the processing times of the vast majority of the streams. For some it’s worse.

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.

VIDEO: Message to Mark Carney on renewed vision for immigration

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.

Click this link to read the news story:
https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2024/11/27/liberals-new-tone-on-immigration-proves-bloc-was-right-says-critic-as-ndp-calls-it-a-flimsy-attempt-to-cover-their-political-behinds/442883/?utm_source=The+Hill+Times&utm_campaign=3ecd8adffd-Todays-Headlines-Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_251d35861a-3ecd8adffd-94024765&mc_cid=3ecd8adffd&mc_eid=4520aaba21