Trudeau government announces more cuts, but no more rights, for migrants

Ottawa, September 18, 2024 — In response to today’s announcements by Ministers Miller and Boissonnault about further cuts to the international student stream of the immigration system, the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, has issued the following statement:

“The Ministers made no mention not even once about workers’ rights, instead continuing to obsess about numbers and cuts. The Ministers themselves said migrants are essential to the Canadian economy, but they don’t seem to care about the rights, working conditions and living conditions migrants have. We are talking about human beings, not machines.

Reducing the numbers of migrants will not stop their exploitation; giving them equal rights and the power to exercise those rights will – and that is only possible through permanent resident status for all.”

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change further reiterates:

Restricting low-wage temporary foreign worker work permits to one year will mean workers will have to leave the country and pay vast sums of money to return.
Higher unemployment is caused by a shrinking economy. At least 50% of Canada’s GDP growth is a result of temporary and permanent immigration – slashing immigration will result in greater unemployment and will have major economic impacts for years to come.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery was right when he said “the recent policy shift to reduce the number of temporary residents will not address the challenges faced by those who continue to enter through the same programme.”

For more information, please contact

Sarom Rho

416-887-8315

sarom@migrantworkersalliance.org
Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is Canada’s largest migrant-led organization, uniting migrant farmworkers, care workers, fishery workers, current and former international students, and undocumented individuals to advocate for employment and immigration justice. www.MigrantWorkersAlliance.org