In the News
Defence of Migrant Workers as Important as Ever
Migrant Rights Network Protests Trudeau Government’s Restrictive Immigration Plan
On February 16, the Migrant Rights Network (MRN) issued a statement highlighting the fact that the Trudeau Liberals, in announcing the 2022-24 Immigration Plan for Canada on February 14, had cut the Express Entry Program by half, thereby reducing the number of international students and temporary foreign workers eligible for permanent status.
The MRN said the cut is unacceptable because it impacts the lives of 1.6 million migrant workers and their families. The national network pointed out that Trudeau’s Mandate Letter to Sean Fraser, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship called for ways to “Expand pathways to Permanent Residence for international students and temporary foreign workers” as well as to “Build on existing pilot programs to further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.”
The organization called attention to the reality for migrant workers and undocumented workers in Canada. It is not the rosy picture that the Trudeau Liberals project to the world in order to entice workers from all over the world to come here as cheap labour for the biggest monopolies, without basic rights and protections. The MRN gave the example of Ireland which at the end of 2021 granted thousands of undocumented workers and their families permanent residency status, recognizing that they contribute to the society and the economy, and calls on the Trudeau government to do the same.
The MRN calls on everyone to contact Prime Minister Trudeau and demand full status for all migrants and undocumented workers. The organization notes that in 2021 as a result of political action, 90,000 permanent spaces were opened up which was not part of the government’s “plan.” The MRN informs that in the coming period it will be stepping up its organizing in defence of migrants and undocumented workers for dignity and permanent status.
(Workers’ Forum, posted March 1, 2022)
