Protesters demand equality for temporary Canadian visa holders
Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s Toronto office was the focus of a recent protest where a few hundred members of community and labour groups petitioned against his proposed changes to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker programme.
Protesters held union flags and signs demanding justice for Canadian visa workers and fairness in the workplace. The protest comes after Mr Kenney announced proposed amendments to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program two months ago, which would stop temporary foreign workers from working in Canada for six years after spending a cumulative total of four years in Canada.
Chris Ramsaroop of the Coalition for Change, a group comprised of various community and labour groups, commented on the reasons for the protest: “The entire framework of the programme doesn’t change.”
“So really what’s happening is that the government’s going after the most marginalized and vulnerable groups with no attention to employers or recruiters.”
The Coalition for Change takes the position that Canada’s immigration system should be based upon five principles:
- Permanent residency status for everyone;
- Abolish recruitment fees to work in Canada;
- Equal access to healthcare, unemployment insurance, CPP and OAS;
- Equal access to provincial and federal labour and human rights laws; and
- Stop the deportations and repatriations of undocumented, temporary and migrant workers.
Speaking on the changes to Canadian immigration, Mr Kenney said: “The regulatory changes being proposed today are the result of extensive consultations and address the most significant concerns identified through that process.”
“This reflects the fact that the program is designed to address short-term labour market shortages and is not a solution to long-term labour needs.”
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