Migrant workers caravan to Niagara urges feds to ease path to permanent residency

Migrant workers travelled in a caravan from Toronto to the Niagara region Sunday.

This is an effort by the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change to bring their message to the federal government.

The workers are asking Ottawa to consider changing immigration policy to allow migrants easier access to permanent residency.

The alliance says migrant workers represent some of the most essential, but forgotten about jobs in the country. From farming to education and hospital staff, the alliance says many of those who keep our country running do not hold basic rights in Canada.

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They’re now calling on the federal government to make changes to the immigration level before consultation closes Tuesday.

“What’s really important to understand is that this is not just a crisis for migrants, it’s a crisis for everyone,” says Syed Hussan, executive director at Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

“So what’s happening is Canada has now hit zero per cent population growth, Canada’s GDP has stopped increasing, we have now entered a technical recession. All of that has happened and Carney himself has said one of the main reasons is the changes to immigration policy.”

The alliance says without changes to immigration policy in Canada, the affordability crisis will only deepen.

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