Neighborhood March
Friday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Gathering Point: Place de la Gare-Jean-Talon, Metro Parc, Montreal
The Canadian Parliament has just closed for the summer holidays and undocumented migrants are still waiting for a regularization program. For more than 3 years, there has been an intense mobilization for an inclusive program granting permanent residence to all undocumented people here in Montreal and across the country. The government finally promised to act in December 2021.
Undocumented migrants and their allies feel angry and betrayed by the failure to move forward on regularization. They continue to be shut out of schools, deprived of healthcare, exploited at work, separated from their families and communities, arrested and deported.
Emergency rallies take place this weekend in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Shediac to demand regularization and an end to detentions and deportations.
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Source: Solidarity Across Borders, www.solidarityacrossborders.org
Contact: [email protected] or 514-809-0773
Background
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Migrant Rights Network’s proposal for a comprehensive regularization program that is uncapped, will grant permanent resident status (not temporary permits) and will not exclude anyone: https://migrantrights.ca/resources/regularization-in-canada/
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Every migrant-led organization in Canada, as well as over 500 civil society, labour and environmental organizations, support this proposal and are calling for full and permanent immigration status for all migrants in the country, as well as permanent resident status for all on arrival in future.
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Comprehensive regularization will address a historic wrong; improve working conditions by giving migrants the power to protect themselves; guarantee public health; and add at least $1.1 billion dollars to the public purse through contributions by employers who currently don’t pay taxes.
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Prime Minister Trudeau’s December 2021 promise: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters/2021/12/16/minister-immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-mandate-letter
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Over 31,000 people have sent messages to Cabinet in support of permanent resident status for all: www.StatusforAll.ca; Migrant Rights Network members have visited the offices of all 39 Cabinet Ministers, and undocumented leaders met with Minister Sean Fraser over 6 months ago.
