Statements

Joint Statement of No One Is Illegal Toronto, No One Is Illegal Vancouver, No One Is Illegal Halifax, No One Is Illegal Montreal and No One Is Illegal Ottawa, July 3, 2010

-- a statement on the detained Tamil Refugees and the Canadian Refugee system --

written by No One Is Illegal-Toronto and Tamil Youth Organization

Seventy six people from military occupied north and east Sri Lanka arrived off the coast of BC in a ship on Friday, 16 October, claiming refugee status. All but one of the men, ethnically Tamil, are still imprisoned. Days after their arrival, Kenney cut Canada's refugee acceptance targets by 60%, limiting acceptance to no more than 9,000 - 12,000 people a year. In 2008, the quota was 22,000-29,000 a year. Without any consultation, the Immigration Minister has undemocratically and fundamentally changed Canada's refugee system. The Immigration Minister has tried to belittle these migrants, calling their journey a justification for further changes.

Coalition for Change Statement in response to the proposed changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

To:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney
Temporary Resident Policy and Programs Director Maia Welbourne

As community, women's, immigrant rights, faith-based and trade union organizations we strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that entrench a disposable workforce with few rights. We call on the government to scrap these proposed amendments immediately and ensure real protection and justice for migrant workers.

Under a smokescreen of protection for workers, the regulatory changes would limit migrant workers' time in Canada to four years and bar them from re-entering Canada for the next six years.

- a statement by No One Is Illegal - Toronto -

Updated: October 17, 2009

Some believe that the Canadian immigration system is fair and generous. It isn't. And Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney are swiftly making it even worse.

They are underhandedly taking apart the so-called 'objective' points-based system. They are moving quickly to get rid of its 'humanitarian' part, the refugee process. In its place, they are setting up temporary work programs that are designed to push most migrants in to vulnerable, precarious and temporary jobs without access to services or the ability to unionize.

In 2008, for the first time, more people entered the work force on exploitative temporary work programs than with access to permanent residency!