Starting in 2024, the Caribbean SAWP contract was changed so that farm workers no longer have a choice to file their own taxes or hire a professional. According to Section 7, by signing the contract, every worker automatically designates the liaison office to submit and file tax returns.
There are many issues with giving the liaison office responsibility for taxes, including significant delays, misplaced tax returns, lack of access to CRA account, and lack of accountability. This isn’t fair!
What problems have you had with the liaison filing your taxes? Let us know so that we can collect evidence and show how big this problem is! Together we can unite and win change to benefit all farm workers and our families for generations to come.
El 20 de septiembre fue un día poderoso de acción por la justicia migrante, ¡y los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes de Niagara estuvimos allí!
En St. Catharines, 20 trabajadores migrantes, personas refugiadas y personas de la comunidad que apoyan nuestra lucha se reunieron en el Ayuntamiento como parte de la jornada nacional de acción de la Migrant Rights Network.
Desde St. Catharines, algunas personas viajamos juntas a Toronto para unirnos a 1,200 personas en las calles, exigiendo justicia para las migrantes y refugiadas.
De Niagara a Toronto
Nuestra delegación de Niagara llevó con nosotros las voces y las demandas de los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes.
En el mitin, escuchamos a estudiantes internacionales, miembros de la comunidad palestina, trabajadores migrantes del cuidado, un ex trabajador agrícola migrante y otras personas que están luchando por la justicia.
Junt@s, enviamos un mensaje claro al gobierno canadiense:
¡RENUEVEN LOS PERMISOS DE TRABAJO! ¡TERMINEN CON LA EXPLOTACIÓN! ¡DETENGAN LAS DEPORTACIONES! ¡ESTATUS PARA TODAS Y TODOS!
Seguridad Vial para Todos
También llevamos un mensaje especial desde Niagara. Nuestra delegación usó chalecos de alta visibilidad con el mensaje SEGURIDAD VIAL PARA TODOS mientras marchábamos por las calles de Toronto.
Para los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes, ir al trabajo, comprar comida, asistir a citas y conectarnos con nuestra comunidad muchas veces significa caminar o andar en bicicleta por carreteras peligrosas.
Los trabajadores migrantes merecemos estar protegidos, en el trabajo, en casa y en las carreteras.
Por eso llevamos nuestra campaña Seguridad Vial para Tod@s a Toronto – en honor a Sinhue, Fermin, Zenaida y a todos los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes que han muerto o sufrido heridas graves en las carreteras de Canadá.
Los trabajadores migrantes tenemos poder
El domingo nos mostró lo que es posible cuando nos unimos.
Trabajadores migrantes y personas que nos apoyan viajaron desde Niagara. 1,200 personas llenaron las calles de Toronto, y comunidades de todo el país se unieron.
Como trabajadores migrantes, tenemos poder. Cuando nos unimos y tomamos acción juntos, nos hacemos más fuertes y tenemos más poder para exigir cambios que beneficien a los trabajadores por muchas generaciones.
La lucha por la justicia para los migrantes continúa, ¡y no estamos solos!
Mira el video con imágenes de las acciones en todo el país:
✊🏾 ¿Quieres unirte a la lucha por carreteras más seguras?
¿Apoyas una mayor seguridad vial para los trabajadores migrantes?
Envía un mensaje por WhatsApp con “¡SEGURIDAD YA!” a Kit al 905-324-2840 para conocer más sobre la campaña Seguridad Vial para Tod@s y saber cómo puedes ayudar a hacer un cambio.
September 20 was a powerful day of action for migrant justice, and migrant farm workers from Niagara were there!
In St. Catharines, 20 migrant workers, refugees, and citizen supporters gathered at City Hall as part of the Migrant Rights Network’s national day of action.
From St. Catharines, some of us travelled together to Toronto to join 1,200 people in the streets demanding justice for migrants and refugees.
From Niagara to Toronto
Our Niagara delegation brought the voices and demands of migrant farm workers with us. At the rally, we heard from international students, Palestinian community members, migrant care workers, a former migrant farm worker, and others who are fighting for justice.
Together, we sent a clear message to the Canadian government:
RENEW WORK PERMITS! END EXPLOITATION! STOPDEPORTATIONS! STATUS FOR ALL!
Road Safety for All
We also brought a special message from Niagara and our delegation wore ROAD SAFETY FOR ALL high-visibility vests as we marched through Toronto.
For migrant farm workers, getting to work, buying groceries, going to appointments, and connecting with community often means walking or biking along dangerous roads.
Migrant workers deserve to be protected, whether at work, at home, or on the road.
That’s why we brought our Road Safety for All campaign to Toronto – in honour of Sinhue, Fermin, Zenaida, and all the migrant farm workers who have been killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads.
Migrant workers have power
Sunday showed what is possible when people come together. Migrant workers & supporters travelled from Niagara, 1200 people filled the streets of Toronto, and communities across the country came together.
As migrant workers, we have power. When we unite and take action together, we get stronger and more powerful so we can push for changes to benefit workers for generations to come.
The fight for migrant justice continues and we are not alone!
Check out the video recap from actions across the country:
✊🏾 Want to join the fight for safer roads?
Do you support better road safety for migrant workers?
Send a WhatsApp message with “SAFETY NOW!” to Kit at 905-324-2840 to learn more about the Road Safety for All campaign, and how you can help make a change.
The new rules shut more migrants out of basic financial and health supports. Here is who is affected, why it matters andwhy we need to speak up.
What are Ontario Works and ODSP?
In Ontario, financial support is available to some people who need help paying for basic needs.
Ontario Works (OW) supports people with little or no income. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) supports low-income people who meet the program’s disability requirements.
These programs are already small and exclusionary. A single person on Ontario Works receives only $733 per month – nowhere near enough to pay rent, buy groceries and meet basic needs.
That amount has been frozen for eight years.
What did Ford change on August 13?
On August 13, 2026 the Ford government changed Ontario’s OW and ODSP regulations to explicitly exclude people based on their immigration status.
The new rules say that people are not eligible if they:
do not have authorization to remain in Canada; or
are only authorized to remain temporarily, including people on work and study permits,
unless they fall within specific exceptions, including having made a refugee claim or certain applications for permanent residence.
The same new exclusion was added to ODSP.
The government also removed an existing protection for some people with enforceable removal orders who cannot leave Canada for reasons completely beyond their control.
The new rules
Immigration situation
Before August 13: what the regulations said
Since August 13: what the regulations say
Refugee claimants
Could qualify for ODSP and OW.
No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirements
People who have applied for permanent residence
Could qualify for ODSP and OW.
No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirements.
Migrant workers, international students and other work permit holders
The regulations did not explicitly say that everyone with temporary status was ineligible. They excluded people categorized as “visitors” and “tourists”.
Now explicitly excluded.
Undocumented people without an enforceable removal order
Could qualify for ODSP and OW.
Now explicitly excluded.
People with an enforceable removal order who cannot leave Canada for reasons completely beyond their control
Could qualify for ODSP and OW.
Now explicitly excluded.
People with an enforceable removal order who have made an H&C application for permanent residence
Could qualify for ODSP and OW.
No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirements.
Before August 13, the regulations excluded “visitors” and “tourists,” but neither term was defined in the legislation or regulation.
The Ford government has now removed those words and replaced them with much broader language explicitly covering temporary immigration status and lack of immigration status.
Were migrants receiving OW and ODSP?
Ontario had a longstanding unjust practice of caseworkers treating many people with work and study permits as “visitors.” As a result, many migrants were often denied OW or ODSP. Those who could, challenged those decisions at the Social Benefits Tribunal.
The regulations did not previously say that every person with temporary immigration status, or every person without immigration status, was automatically excluded, so hearings at the Tribunal were often successful.
The Ministry describes this as a “clarification” of its longstanding policy. But what it has actually done is put a much broader immigration-status exclusion directly into Ontario law.
Who will this hurt?
These rules affect people who may have lived, worked and paid taxes in Ontario for years and then suddenly need help because of illness, unemployment, abuse or another crisis.
Patel: Patel is a 40-year-old man who came to Canada from Bangladesh after fleeing persecution because of his bisexuality. His immigration applications were denied, but he was afraid to return. He was later diagnosed with liver failure and cirrhosis. Because of his serious health condition, Canada cannot remove him. ODSP provides him with essential financial and medical support. Ford has now removed that protection. People in Patel’s situation can now be denied the basic financial and health supports they need to survive.
John: John is a 30-year-old seasonal agricultural worker from Jamaica who has been coming to Canada every year since 2020 to grow and harvest our food. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. He could not work while receiving chemotherapy and temporarily relied on Ontario Works. Today, John is in remission and back at work. Under Ford’s new regulation, most workers in John’s immigration situation are now explicitly excluded from Ontario Works.
Vanessa: Vanessa is a mother from Jamaica who worked as a home support worker caring for elderly people. During the pandemic, she fled abuse from her ex-partner with her children and entered the shelter system. After losing her job, she temporarily relied on Ontario Works while looking for work and child care. Her family later became permanent residents and she returned to care work. Under the new regulations, migrant women on temporary status in similar situations can be explicitly denied basic financial support while trying to escape violence or survive a crisis.
Why is the Ford government doing this?
Meanwhile, Ontario’s Auditor General found that the Ford government spent a record $111.9 million on government advertising in 2024–25. Six of its ten largest advertising campaigns would not have passed Ontario’s former, stricter rules against partisan government advertising.
And while poor people and migrants struggle to pay rent and buy food, Premier Ford used taxpayer money to buy a $28.9 million dollar jet for his own private use. Members of Ford’s government have spent hundreds of thousands of public dollars on hotel rooms and fancy dinners.
The government announced these changes after media attention around a Social Benefits Tribunal case involving a man who had lived and worked in Canada for decades before losing his home. He challenged the denial of social assistance and won. Ford responded by changing the regulations.
No one should be denied food, housing, medicine or the means to survive because of the immigration documents they have or do not have.
At a time when rent and food prices are soaring and decent jobs are harder to find, blaming migrants will not make anyone’s life more affordable.
Taking $733 a month away from someone with cancer, someone escaping violence or someone who has lost their job will not lower the rent, raise wages or fix health care.
These changes are another attempt to pit migrants and poor people against each other while those responsible for the affordability crisis escape responsibility.
We must reject divide-and-rule and speak up together.
I’m a migrant and I’m worried. Where can I get support?
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is a group of current and former migrants. We come together to support each other and push back against unfair rules and laws like these.
If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, we offer free, confidential, in-person Migrant Support Clinics every second Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
You can share what is happening and work with other migrants to understand your options and find solutions.
Everyone deserves the freedom to move
safely through their community.
Since 2019, at least seven migrant farmworkers
have been killed or seriously injured on Niagara
roads, including Sinhue Garcia, who was killed
while cycling home in June 2026.
These are not isolated incidents. Migrant
farmworkers grow the food we eat, but unsafe
roads, employer-controlled housing, unfair
working conditions and immigration laws put
their safety and lives at risk.
Migrant workers are demanding action from
Niagara municipalities, the Government of
Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Migrant farmworkers have sustained Niagara’s
farms and food economy for sixty years. But
they work long, unpredictable hours for low
wages, often without basic labour protections.
Most are tied to one employer through their
work permits. Without permanent immigration
status, speaking up can mean risking their
jobs, housing and ability to stay in Canada.
Many workers live in employer-controlled housing
far from town, with little privacy and few
transportation options. They need to buy groceries,
send money home, see a doctor, visit friends and
spend time away from the farm. Without reliable
public transit, they often have no choice but
to walk or cycle.
Long workdays mean much of this travel happens
after dark, on rural roads with fast-moving
traffic, poor lighting and no safe shoulders
or crossings. An ordinary trip can end in
serious injury or death.
Migrant farmworkers know what needs to change.
Governments must listen and act.
They have names
These deaths and injuries are part of a pattern.
At least seven migrant farmworkers have been
killed or seriously injured on Niagara roads since
2019. Behind that number are workers, neighbours,
friends and family members.
2026
Sinhue Garcia
Sinhue was killed while cycling home on
Concession 6 near Line 4 in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
He was 39 years old and leaves behind his wife
and two daughters in Mexico.
2019
Zenaida
Zenaida, a Mexican farmworker and mother,
was killed in a hit-and-run in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
2022
Fermin Soto Sanchez and two co-workers
Fermin was killed and two of his co-workers
were seriously injured when they were struck
near St. Catharines.
2022
Ceto Reid
Ceto, a Jamaican farmworker, was seriously
injured while cycling home from a laundromat.
2023
Omar
Omar, a migrant farmworker, was injured in
a hit-and-run on Lakeshore Road.
Sinhue Garcia was a neighbour, a co-worker,
a friend and a father. He deserved to get home
safely. So does every migrant worker who
comes to Niagara to work.
Take action: Niagara, Ontario and Canada
Justice for Sinhue Garcia.
Safety and dignity for every migrant worker.
Sinhue was killed cycling home. His death
must lead to real change.
Add your name to demand safer roads and
transportation, decent housing, better
protection at work, support for injured
workers and their families, and permanent
resident status.
Migrant workers have identified the problems
and the solutions. Governments must act.
Sign the petition
Add your name and send your message
to decision-makers.
Niagara municipal elections
More than half of candidates have signed.
Has yours?
Across Niagara-on-the-Lake, St. Catharines
and Lincoln, more than half of the 63 municipal
candidates have signed a seven-point pledge
developed around migrant farmworkers’ demands.
Check where your candidates stand.
If they haven’t signed, ask them to stand
with migrant workers.
Working with migrant farm workers, community
members, municipal staff and regional partners
to advance the following actions.
Create and fund a migrant farm worker
road safety plan
Support multi-year funding for improved
lighting, protected shoulders or bike lanes,
traffic calming, safer crossings and lower
speeds on routes used by workers.
Complete a worker-led road safety audit
and map
Ensure migrant farm workers directly
identify dangerous roads, routes and
destinations and help set priorities
for action.
Put worker-identified routes into
municipal and regional plans
Use transportation and master planning
processes to prioritize routes identified
by migrant workers.
Assign responsibility and report
publicly on progress
Identify a lead Niagara Region staff person
and provide at least two public reports to
council each year: one before and one after
the height of the agricultural season from
May to September.
Ensure migrant worker housing is safe
and dignified
Support proactive inspections through
Niagara Region Public Health, including
access to basic facilities, privacy,
adequate space and protection from
unsafe conditions.
Call for a coroner’s inquest
Publicly support a coroner’s inquest
into migrant farm worker road deaths
and serious injuries in Niagara.
Meet directly with migrant farm workers
Hold direct meetings with workers and
release a public implementation plan
during the first year of the new council.
Beyond Niagara
Ontario and Canada must act too.
Municipal commitments matter. Provincial
and federal governments must also make the
changes migrant workers need to live and
work safely.
Government of Ontario
Hold a coroner’s inquest into migrant
farmworker road deaths and serious injuries,
strengthen and enforce housing standards,
and ensure farmworkers are fully included
in provincial labour laws.
Government of Canada
Ensure permanent immigration status for
all migrant workers, so they have the
freedom to make decisions about their
employment, housing and lives.
Candidates in Niagara-on-the-Lake,
St. Catharines and Lincoln: make a public
commitment to work directly with migrant
farmworkers on these seven actions.
By signing, you commit to supporting
all seven actions listed above.
Your contact information will be used
to confirm your response and communicate
with you about the pledge. Only information
you have agreed to make public should
be published.
Candidate pledge form
Please complete the form below.
We will follow up to confirm your response.
Saturday, August 8
3:00–5:00 p.m.
In person in Toronto
The location will be shared only with people who are invited and
confirmed to attend.
Who is this meeting for?
This meeting is for people who:
Live in the City of Toronto
Do not currently have valid immigration status in Canada
Currently work or have previously worked in care
The criteria for this meeting were set by the City of Toronto, which is
funding this project.
Space is limited. We will review responses and contact people who are
invited.
People who are invited and attend the full two-hour meeting will receive:
A $50 gift card
Food
PRESTO fare
Come meet other care workers and talk about:
Access to health care, housing, transit and other City services
What support undocumented care workers need
Problems at work, including low wages, unpaid wages, abuse or unfair
treatment
Immigration status, permits and access to permanent residency
What needs to change in Toronto and across Canada
Your experiences will help us identify the changes, services and resources
undocumented care workers need. We will also share information about
services and support available in Toronto.
Urgent action: Tell Niagara, Ontario and Canada to act before more migrant workers are hurt or killed.
Justice for Sinhue Garcia
Safer roads and support for migrant workers now.
Sinhue Garcia, a migrant farmworker from Mexico, was killed while riding his bicycle in rural Niagara-on-the-Lake. He leaves behind a wife, two children, and many loved ones. He is not the first. At least six other migrant farmworkers have been killed or seriously injured on Niagara roads in recent years.
We grieve with Sinhue’s family, friends, co-workers, and the migrant worker community. But his death is not an isolated tragedy.
Migrant farmworkers keep Niagara’s farms, greenhouses, wineries, restaurants, and food system running. Too many have no choice but to travel long rural roads by bike or on foot, often at night, without safe transportation, wide shoulders, bike lanes, proper lighting, or access to public transit.
This is a public safety crisis and reflects serious gaps in road infrastructure, housing, workplace protections, and political responsibility.
We are calling for action at every level of government.
Safer roads and transportation, including lighting, protected shoulders and bike lanes, lower speeds, and traffic calming.
Worker-led road safety planning, with dangerous routes identified by workers, acted on, and publicly reported.
Safe and dignified housing, with stronger standards and enforcement.
More control over work schedules and protection from reprisals, so workers can make decisions about their own safety.
A coroner’s inquest, compensation, and support for injured workers and families of workers who die in Canada.
Permanent resident status so migrant workers can speak up, change jobs, and exercise their rights without fear.
Migrant workers are not disposable. They are our neighbours, co-workers, friends, and community members. They deserve to live with dignity.
Send an email now to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada, and election candidates.
Rumours. False announcements. Lies. What’s going on with immigration changes in Canada these days?!
Join us on June 10 for a free online information session just for migrants like you. Let’s break through the noise together to get the facts, and learn how migrants are uniting to take action against unfair immigration rules to win permanent status for all.
It’s been over half a year since Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit Jamaica, tore a path of destruction through the island. Many migrant farmworker families remain homeless and a number of communities still don’t have electricity restored, relying on expensive generators and battery-operated devices for power. The agricultural areas of the island got hit the hardest, impacting access to fresh food and driving up grocery prices.
What Your Donation Will Support
100% of all contributions go directly to farmworker families’ immediate needs:
Emergency food and clean water supplies
Critical medications and medical supplies
Temporary shelter and urgent roof repairs
Flood recovery and debris removal
Other immediate costs as needed
About This Effort
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is providing direct support to Jamaican farm worker members impacted by the devastating storm. Many of these workers split their time between Canada and Jamaica as part of seasonal agricultural programs, and they’re facing this crisis both in Canada and now in Jamaica.
Your contribution goes directly to migrant workers and their families who need it most. No administrative fees, just direct relief.
How to Help
Donate Now
Suggested amounts:
$100 – Provides emergency food supplies for one family
$300 – Funds urgent roof repairs to prevent further damage
$500 – Comprehensive support including food, clothing, medicine, and shelter repairs
Other amount – Every dollar makes a difference
Why This Matters
These are the same workers who help feed Canada. When disaster strikes their communities, they deserve our support. The combination of destroyed infrastructure and disrupted income means families are struggling to meet basic needs.
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