Migrant workers hold rally for permanent resident status in Toronto

A demonstration held outside the office of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland organized by migrant workers and their supporters is calling on the federal government to provide status for undocumented workers.

The group used pumpkins grown by migrant workers on Halloween to send a message to the Prime Minister

“We’re calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to keep the promise he made to immediately create a program that grants status to all undocumented people.” said Janet Hinds, an undocumented worker.

A letter with those demands along with 100 of these pumpkins were being delivered to MPs and cabinet ministers across Canada.

Up to half a million immigrants are working in Canada. In addition, temporary foreign workers are carrying out essential jobs, such as farming, but say, they too, are living in fear.

“What there is is a denial of basic rights, daily fear of family separation, exploitation and abuse from employers. because migrant workers are denied permanent status,” added Sarom Rho, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

According to the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, migrants face decades of temporariness, mistreatment and family separation and then either become undocumented or are forced to leave the country.

For Hinds, who has been living undocumented in Canada for 11 years, the lack of access to necessities, like health care, has been costly.

“Just to do a CT scan, I had to pay over 1,000 dollars and I still had to get medication.”

She said she’s also exhausted all existing options to obtain legal status in Canada. “Always denied or delayed so that’s why I’m like this … [I’ve paid] over $25,000 in lawyer fees and stuff, and applications.”

The demonstrations came hours before a press conference by Canada’s Immigration Minister Mark Miller.

He announced that the federal government’s report which outlines key actions intended to strengthen the immigration system, based on consultations with stakeholders.

It says Ottawa plans to take housing, health care, infrastructure and other services into account when planning immigration levels.

The report proposes creating a chief international talent officer position to better align immigration programs and pathways with the labour market.

With files from The Canadian Press