Today, on International Migrants Day, December 18th, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) Canada expresses our solidarity with all migrants who live in Canada and calls for humane, rights-affirming immigration policies.
Migrants are our friends, neighbours, and community members and enormously contribute to the Canadian economy and society. Yet, too many of them are subjected to racism, discrimination, and exploitation, as well as scapegoated for social problems they did not create.
In our ongoing research with migrant and racialized women in informal, precarious employment (e.g., on farms, in service industries, as caregivers), women have shared stories of underpayment of wages, forced overtime, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination. They felt that their temporary status enabled employers to perpetrate these abuses. It is also what forced them to continue working under such exploitative conditions for weeks, months, or even years. Some sought help, but many did not believe that police and other authorities would take a migrant’s complaint seriously.
The federal government’s recent decision to reduce the number of temporary workers and permanent residents is likely to increase migrants’ stress and precarity. Furthermore, the government’s insinuations that migrants are somehow responsible for the housing crisis and the strain on social services contribute to the xenophobia and discrimination that make migrants easy targets for exploitation and racist abuse.
Canada’s immigration policies should be based on rights, not reductions!
To end the exploitation and abuse of migrants and ensure that migrants feel welcome and supported in Canada, GAATW Canada calls for:
- Permanent status on arrival for all migrant workers
- Effective inspection and control of recruitment agencies, immigration consultants, and workplaces that employ migrants
- Increased funding for grassroots organizations that work with migrants
- Promotion of social acceptance of migrants and public rejection of racism, hate speech, and misinformation about migration
- Increased investment in social services and affordable housing
- Meaningful consultation with migrants and civil society organizations in developing immigration policies
GAATW Canada advocates for the human and labour rights of all migrants as a way of preventing violence and exploitation against them, including human trafficking.