Add your name
If you believe in equal access to health for all, please sign and share.
Decisions about healthcare are being made right now that will affect millions of people. Your action will make a difference.
Open Letter: Vaccines for All
Migrant and undocumented people are at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis. We are often working in essential jobs that sustain our communities but have been excluded from services and protections. Some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections are for migrants in congregate living and working conditions, like farms, factories, and warehouses, and those who are homeless or incarcerated.
But at the same time, many migrants in Canada don’t have a health card or coverage. Those who are undocumented are afraid of accessing healthcare in case their personal information is shared with federal immigration enforcement. In some cases, employers have already started to threaten migrants with job loss and deportation if they aren’t vaccinated.
We call on federal and provincial governments to ensure full access to the COVID-19 vaccine to all migrants regardless of immigration status. Vaccine provision must:
- Be free of charge;
- Not require a health card or health card number;
- Be accessible;
- Not collect any ID or addresses, or information about immigration status, and develop alternative mechanisms for tracking vaccine doses. Health authorities must guarantee that any personal information that is collected will not be shared with immigration enforcement or police; and
- Not be coercive or mandatory.
A comprehensive multi-lingual public education and outreach strategy, as well as training for healthcare providers, should be created. Relevant authorities must coordinate with and take leadership from migrant-led organizations to ensure that migrants can receive the COVID vaccine and testing in a safe, accessible and dignified manner, no matter where they work or live, and without fear of punitive consequences.
All migrants must have access to universal healthcare immediately, regardless of immigration status. In order to guarantee safe and healthy communities, an end to detentions and deportations, and full and permanent immigration status for all, is essential.
Organizations
Join in: add your organization
350 Canada
350Vancouver
ACORN Canada
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
African women Acting
Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC
AGIR
AIDS ACTION NOW!
AIDS Committee of Ottawa
Alberta Caregivers Association
Alberta Public Interest Research Group
Alliance for Healthier Communities
Alternatives
Anakbayan Toronto
Antler River Watershed Region Social and Ecological Justice Network
Apatrides anonymes
Asian Heritage society of NB
Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers
Association of Mexicans in Calgary (AMexCal)
Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies
Bathurst Street United Church
BC Civil Liberties Association
BC Employment Standards Coalition
BC Federation of Labour
BCGEU
BIPOCUSHR
Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
Calgary Anti-Racist Action
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Canadian Centre For Victims of Torture
Canadian Council for Refugees | Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés
Canadian Doctors for Medicare
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
Canadian Federation of Students Ontario
Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE)
Canadian Health Coalition
Canadian Sanctuary Network
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Canadian Women’s Foundation / Fondation canadienne des femmes
Capilano Medical Centre
Careworker Connections Education & Support Organization
Caring for social justice-Soignons la justice sociale
Carranza LLP
Carrefour d’éducation populaire de Pointe-Saint-Charles
CEDA
Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrant-e-s
Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity
Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE)
Centre for Newcomers Society of Calgary
Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation
CERLAC: Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (York University)
Changing Together – A Center for Immigrant Women
Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter
Citizens for Public Justice
Climate Justice Edmonton
Climate Justice Montreal / Justice Climatique Montréal
Climate Justice Ottawa
Climate Justice Ottawa
Climate Justice Saskatoon
Climate Justice Toronto
Climate Justice Victoria
ClimateFast
Clinique juridique communautaire de Niagara/ Niagara Community Legal Clinic
Coalition Against Bigotry- Pacific
Coalition Against Bigotry- Pacific
Coalition Against Trans Antagonism
Collaborative Network to End Exploitation
Collectif Ensemble avec les personnes migrantes contre le racisme
Collective RedLEgal
Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine CDHAL
Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)
Community Action Initiative
Community Legal Clinic – Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk
Community Legal Services of Ottawa
Cooper Institute
Council of Canadians PEI Chapter
Council of Canadians London Chapter
Council of Canadians, Les Conseil Des Canadiens
Council of Canadians, Peterborough and Kawarthas chapter
CPT- Ontario
CUPE 1281
CUPE 2626
CUPE 3261
CUPE Local 1230
CUPE Local 3907
CUPE Local 4772
CUPE MB
CUPE Ontario
CUPE PEI
CUPE PEI
CUPE, Local 3902
Davenport Mutual Aid Network
Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre
Dignidad Migrante Society
Disability Justice Network of Ontario
Durham Region Labour Council
Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations
End of the Rainbow Foundation
Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter
Exeko
Faculty for Palestine
FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE
Fight for $15 and Fairness
Food Secure Canada
GateWay Community Church
Global Labour Research Centre (York University)
Global Migration and Health Initiative
Graduate Student Society
Greenpeace Canada
Guelph Community Acupuncture
Halifax Refugee Clinic
Hamilton Community Legal Clinic
Hamilton Community Legal Clinic/Clinique juridique communautaire de Hamilton
Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team (HamSMaRT)
HAMSMaRT (Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team)
Health Network for Uninsured Clients
Health Providers Against Poverty
Healthcare For All MB
HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
HIV Legal Network/Réseau juridique VIH
HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health
Hospital Employees’ Union
Human Rights Committee—Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
immigrant and Refugee Support Center
Indigenous Climate Action
Institut universitaire SHERPA
Inter Pares
Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development
International Association for Refugees Canada
ISLAMIC SOCIAL SERVICES ASSCIATION
Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenicall Justice Initiatives
Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income
Latin American Mission Program (LAMP)
Le Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste
Leadnow
LINGAP-Canada
Loretto Sisters | IBVM Canada
Loretto Sisters Canada
MADE IN EXILE
Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project
Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations
Manitoba Federation of Labour
Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network PEI Committee
Martha Justice Ministry, Sisters of St. Martha, Antigonish
MAX Ottawa
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
MFL Occupational Health Centre
Micah House Refugee Reception Services Inc.
Midnight Kitchen Collective
Migrant Worker Solidarity Network
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change
Migrante Alberta
Migrante BC
Migrante Canada
Migrante Ontario
Migrante-Ottawa
Migrants Resource Centre Canada
Mining Injustice Solidarity Network (MISN)
MiningWatch Canada
Moonfruits
Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste
Multicultural Family Resource Society
Nadjla Banaei
National Farmers Union
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Neighbourhood Legal Services
Niagara Migrant Workers Interest Group
Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association
Niagara workers welcome
No One Is Illegal – Fredericton
No one is illegal – Halifax/Kjipuktuk
No One Is Illegal Toronto
North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services
Northumberland Community Legal Centre
OCAD University Faculty Association
OHIP for All
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
Ontario Federation of Labour
Ontario Humanist Society
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
OPSEU Indigenous Circle
Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW)
Our Time Vancouver
Oxfam Canada
PACE Society
Pacific AIDS Network
Parkdale Community Legal Services
Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre
Parksville Qualicum Kairos
PEI Action Team for MIgrant Worker Rights
Philippine Arts Council
PIaMP
PINAY
Planned Parenthood NL Sexual Health Centre
QPIRG Concordia
Racial Advocacy for Inclusion Solidarity and Equity
Radical Access Mapping Project
Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture (RAMA) | Red de Apoyo para Migrantes Agricolas
RadLaw
Rainbow Refugee
Ralph Thornton Community Centre
Refugee Health Coalition
Rencontre Interculturelle des Familles de l’Estrie
Romero House
S4 Collective
SAEFTY Ottawa
SAIMY’S Art
SAISIA
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Sanctuary Health
SeedChange
SEIU Local 2
Showing up for Racial Justice – Toronto
Sidetracks Screenprinting Collective
Sierra Club BC
Single Mothers’ Alliance BC
Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care
Social Justice & Advocacy Committee, Diocese of Toronto
Socialist Action
Solidarity Kjipuktuk-Halifax
Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD)
South Asian Women’s Rights Organization
South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre
South Riverdale Community Health Center
Southridge Community Church
Spring Socialist Network
St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Humber Heights
Stella, l’amie de Maimie
Sudbury Community Legal Clinic
Sudbury Palestinian Solidarity Working Group
Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre
SumOfUs
Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)
Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU)
The Leap
The Obstetric Justice Project
The Socialist Project
The United Church of Canada
TNO
Toronto & York Region Labour Council
Toronto Local, C.U.P.W
Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project
Trade Justice Network
UFCW Local 832
Unifor
United Jewish People’s Order – Canada
University of the Philippines Alumni Association Edmonton
University of Toronto Environmental Action
Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights
Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR)
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter
Vivimos Juntxs, Comemos Juntxs
Warehouse Workers Centre
West Coast Environmental Law Association
West Coast LEAF
Wilderness Committee
Women Educating in Self Defense Training
Women’s Health Interest Group
Women’s Network PEI
Workers’ Action Centre
Working Women Community Centre
Yukon Federation of Labour
YWCA Canada