The Fight for Status for All
Permanent Resident Program for Refugee Claimants Dismally Fails Migrant Workers
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
(IRCC) is now
accepting applications for its "special measures
for refugee claimants
working in health care during the pandemic."
People can apply until
August 31, 2021.
This program was put in place after Quebec
Premier François
Legault's declaration on May 25, 2020 that he would
consider allowing refugee
claimants working in Quebec long-term care
facilities during the
pandemic to permanently settle in Quebec. The
program was officially
announced in August and the IRCC started
accepting applications on
December 14, 2020.
The temporary program allows certain refugee
claimants, only those
who "provide direct care to patients" during the
COVID-19 pandemic, to
apply for permanent resident (PR) status. It
also permits applications
from spouses and common-law partners of eligible
asylum seekers who
contracted COVID-19 and died, if the applicants
are in
Canada and arrived before August 14, 2020.
According to Federal Immigration Minister Marco
Mendicino this
temporary program is to recognize "the
dedication of the many asylum
seekers who have raised their hands to serve as
we live through a unique
and unprecedented situation."
Under the Canada-Quebec Accord the Quebec
government has sole
responsibility for deciding who will become
permanent residents so the
federal government has developed two temporary
policies, one for people
living in Quebec and another for those residing
outside of Quebec. It
is estimated that most of the eligible workers
are in
Quebec.
 Applicants
residing in Quebec must first submit an
application for permanent
resident status to Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If
they qualify under the federal requirements, the
Quebec Ministry of
Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIDI)
must then validate
whether they also meet the requirements under
its special
program. If they do the MIDI issues a Quebec
Selection Certificate
(CSQ) and the IRCC grants permanent resident status.
Quebec's Immigration Minister, Nadine Girault,
said that the purpose
of the special program "is to recognize the
exceptional contribution of
asylum seekers who worked on the front line,
with people who were sick
and with our seniors, during the first wave of
the health crisis," and
allow them to "continue their essential
contribution to health
care and integrate fully into Quebec society."
Those eligible for the "special measures"
represent a small fraction
of the thousands of asylum seekers who worked,
and continue to work,
providing essential services in health care as
cooks, cleaners, and in
other positions that do not provide "direct care
to patients," as well
as those working in other economic sectors.
These workers are not
recognized for their sacrifice and contribution
to keeping society
functioning and safe, and are not eligible for
the program.
This article was published in
Number 7 - February 17, 2021
Article Link:
The Fight for Status for All: Permanent Resident Program for Refugee Claimants Dismally Fails Migrant Workers
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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