Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller,
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
Principles of equality and rights for migrants must drive Canada’s immigration policy decisions.
- 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
- Antigonish Coalition to End Poverty
- 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 Health Coalition
- BC Poverty Reduction Coalition
- Broadbent Institute
- Butterfly
- Butterfly Tree Yoga
- Campaign 2000: End Child & Family Poverty
- 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 Black Trade Unionists
- 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
- Harrogate Psychological Services
- 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
- ” La Peche Coalition for a Green New Deal”
- Labour Community Services of Peel
- Le Front de défense des non-syndiquéEs
- Leadnow
- Ligue des droits et libertés
- Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre
- Malaya Canada
- 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
- Miramichi & District Labour Council
- My Sea to Sky
- National Farmers Union in New Brunswick
- National Right to Housing Network
- National Union of Public and General Employees
- No Pride In Police Coalition (NPPC)
- Noca Scotia Health Coalition
- North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE)
- OCHU-CUPE
- Office for Systemic Justice, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
- Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology
- OHIP for All
- ONE FULL CIRCLE
- Ontario Federation of Labour
- Ontario Nurses’ Association
- OPSEU
- Orbit Policy
- 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.
- Pro- people Arts Project Media Group
- PSAC/AFPC
- 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.
- SURJ Toronto
- SWAN Vancouver
- TCRI – Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiees et immigrantes
- The Climate Justice Organizing HUB
- The Equity Network
- The Labour Studies Program, Simon Fraser University
- The United Church of Canada
- Toronto & York Region Labour Council
- Toronto350
- TTCriders
- Unifor
- Urban Alliance on Race Relations
- USWA Local 8330
- Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights
- Vancouver Lesbian Collective
- Welcome Collective
- West Coast LEAF
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
- Worker Solidarity Network
- Workers Action Centre
Initiated by Migrant Rights Network members including:
Butterfly, Caregiver Connections, Education and Support Organization, Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter, Collaborative Network to End Exploitation, Cooper Institute, FCJ Refugee Centre, Immigrant Workers Centre, Income Security Advocacy Centre, Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario (IAVGO), Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Migrant Workers Centre – BC, Migrante Canada, Parkdale Community Legal Services, RAMA Okanagan, Sanctuary Health, SWAN Vancouver, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights, Worker Solidarity Network, Workers Action Centre.