As a federal permanent resident program is nearing its end date and thousands of spots remain unfilled, activists are fighting to let these openings go to refugee and undocumented front-line health workers.
The temporary resident to permanent resident pathway grants permanent residence to certain temporary residents who either have work experience in Canada in health or other essential occupations, or recently graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution. The pathway will expire on Nov. 5 but still has 15,000 available spots for English and/or French-speaking health workers.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced this pathway to give essential workers in Canada permanent status to “fight the pandemic and accelerate our economic recovery,” it said in an April news release.
The caveat is that only those with valid status in Canada can apply, which means that refugee and undocumented health workers are ineligible for the program.
IRCC did not respond to request for comment in time for publication.
On Wednesday, advocacy group Migrant Workers Alliance for Change invited four refugee claimants to speak virtually on their experiences as front-line health workers and to call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to extend the pathway to refugees and undocumented workers.
“Fundamentally, permanent resident status is not a gift for so-called guardian angels who’ve gone above and beyond,” said Syed Hussan, the executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. “Permanent resident status is not only about who lives here permanently and who doesn’t. Permanent resident status is primarily the mechanism through which rights are accessed. Denying it is about denying rights.”
Florence, a Ugandan refugee claimant, moved to Canada from the U.S. in 2019 and now works at a residential home in Toronto for young adults with complex developmental and physical disabilities. For security reasons, Florence only usedher first name during her talk.
As she spoke, Florence detailed how the dangerous conditions she had to work through during COVID-19 and her prolonged separation from her family affected her physical and mental health. She also referenced Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s comments on Monday when he called for “hard-working” immigrants who are not “coming to collect the dole and sit around” and wants him to know that there already are migrant workers going above and beyond.
“We have done it all. We have risked our lives, even when we didn’t have hope, even when weknew we were going to die,” Florence said.
Fasanya Kolade, a developmental support worker, called into the Zoom meeting from his workplace in Newfoundland during a 10-minute break. He almost meets all the requirements for the pathway: he has over one year of work experience in the health sector, he is currently employed and is authorized to work in Canada, and he’s proficient in English. The one thing that excludes him from eligibility is the fact that he is a refugee.
“COVID-19 doesnot differentiate temporary resident status from refugees and undocumented immigrants — it affects everybody,” Kolade said. “Even when the cases were dangerously high and no one was willing to go to work, I defied this virus, putting my life at risk to ensure the well-being of our seniors and Canadians with disabilities.”
Besides the four speakers at Wednesday’s event, other refugees that Migrant Workers Alliance for Change works with are also advocating for better access to permanent residence opportunities.
Basil Omeje, a caregiver also based in Newfoundland, was happy to hear about the pathway when it was first announced in April. But he said he was “devastated” once he learned that refugee claimants like himself are barred from applying.
In May, Omeje made a submission to the parliamentary immigration committee to recommend permanent resident pathways for essential workers and pre-removal risk assessment applicants like him. Omeje has been in Canada for three years but has struggled to get refugee status in the country because he previously applied for asylum in the U.S. This makes it even more difficult for him to apply for the pathway.
The committee published Omeje’s submission, but he’s still waiting for a response from government officials.
He says that he’s risked his life as a caregiver during the pandemic just as much as any other person who is eligible for the pathway.
“I’ve worked 84 hours a week for the past 12 months. I’ve not had any day off for the past 12 months. For me, I think it’s not fair,” Omeje told the Star. “I think we should extend the arms to us and then relax some of the requirements (of the pathway).”
Omeje hopes to become a permanent resident soon so he can sponsor his wife and daughter, who are both currently in Nigeria.
Article From: The Star
Author: Celina Gallardo
