Category — Immigration

The federal government’s proposed reductions in the family reunification program, which allows established immigrant families to bring parents and grandparents here to join them, is raising grave concern in immigrant communities right across Canada.

If Vancouver City Council passes the motion I have proposed for our next meeting, it will be the first in Canada, as far as I know, to urge the government to change direction and ensure everyone who was promised this opportunity can realize the dream of reuniting their family in this country, often after a wait of many, many years.

In this column, scheduled for publication in Philippine News Today, I set out the case for restoring the number of visas to last year’s level: [Read more →]

Even before the recent class action against Denny’s, launched by a large group of Filipino temporary foreign workers,  it was clear that this major change in Canada’ s immigration rules — to focus on short-term labour force needs rather than future citizenship — would have a big impact on city governments. I explored some of the recent examples in this column for Philippine News Today.

The issue is a top priority for review by the Mayor’s Working Group on Immigration, which I co-chair with Dan Hiebert, a director of Metropolis, an academic research centre focussing on immigration issues.

The class action suit filed Monday by 50 Filipino temporary foreign workers against Denny’s Restaurants has shone a harsh light on a potentially serious problem for city governments.

(The allegations in the suit remain unproved and are categorically denied by Denny’s.)

Workers on temporary permits, which require them to return home at the end of their contract, are rapidly outstripping new immigrants as participants in Canada’s work force.

Lawyers for the complainants in the $10 million action say the workers were recruited in the Philippines after paying a $6,000 recruiter’s fee and then deployed across the province. They now say they have been denied wages, overtime and travel charges they are entitled to under their contracts.

Once a Filipino worker has made the long journey to BC and is pouring coffee or flipping burgers, his or her existence is entirely dependent on their employer under the terms of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Their visa does not make them an immigrant. They cannot work for someone if they quit their job or are fired. They are supposed to be flown home at their employer’s expense when the work ends.

Reality tells a different story. Winnipeg citizens were outraged in the days before Christmas by the heart-rending story of the “Three Amigos,” three Filipino men who remained in Canada and worked illegally after their job with an Alberta gas station ended abruptly. Faced with deportation, they begged to stay so they could find work to support their families.

Such workers often join the underground economy, putting an unknown pressure on housing stock and city services. Vulnerable to deportation, they may work in unsafe conditions, with inadequate training and low wages. [Read more →]

A complete restructuring of BC’s employment service centres now being imposed by Victoria could have a devastating impact on Vancouver residents, according to the leaders of the city’s immigrant service agencies.

But these agencies are reluctant to speak out because of an apparent gag order from Victoria.

I summarized the impact these changes could have in this column for Philippine News Today.

Anyone seeking a job — a recent immigrant, a person with disabilities or someone on income assistance — will be impacted by the proposed program, which would see Vancouver’s employment centres cut to seven from 18.

Province-wide, Victoria hopes to cut the number of agencies offering employment assistance to 73 from 400, a change that is sure to reduce access and quality of service.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has already intervened to seek a delay in implementation of the new system. Current service providers have until Jan. 7 to express interest in working under the new regime.

But with many service agencies expressing grave doubts about the new program’s delivery model and funding formula, more public pressure will be required, gag order or not.