In May 2023, members of PHM Canada united to write a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada along with the Cabinet Ministers, advocating for the regularization of undocumented people and equal rights for migrant workers and students. To see the letter, continue reading below or click here.
PHM Canada and half a million migrants are counting on you to support regularization to demonstrate your commitment to human rights. We encourage you to reach out to your local member of parliament, the Prime Minister or other representatives to let them know that changes need to be made immediately to how undocumented people access permanent residency status in Canada to ensure that we are advancing health and human rights. Their emails are included at the bottom of this post.
May 7, 2023
Dear Prime Minister and Minister,
On behalf of People’s Health Movement (PHM) – Canada, we are writing to discuss regularization of undocumented people and equal rights for migrant workers and students. PHM is dedicated to advancing health and human rights: we consider regularization for undocumented people to be an essential dimension of the human right to health.
Rarely does an opportunity present itself that will both be historic and pragmatic. Soon you and your Cabinet colleagues will receive a proposal to make life-altering public policy for over half a million people who have no other possibility of getting access to universal rights.
You will be asked to weigh in on regularization for undocumented people, and we urge you put all your support behind a program that is uncapped; includes all undocumented people and their families; and is a one-step program where all undocumented people apply for permanent residency. When regularization is discussed at Cabinet, please commit to launching a comprehensive program immediately.
Lack of permanent resident status makes it difficult, and often impossible, for migrants to speak up for their rights at work or access services, including the few services they are eligible for, because of a well-founded fear of reprisals, termination, eviction and deportation. They cannot unite with their families, and undocumented people live in daily fear of detention and deportation.
An uncapped regularization program that grants permanent resident status (not temporary permits) to all undocumented people could lift half a million people out of poverty; give them the tools to protect themselves against abuse; ensure gender justice; unite families and correct a historic wrong.
Migrant-led organizations are the experts on their own situation, and they have created a detailed proposal, which PHM supports whole-heartedly. This proposal is supported by over 500 civil society, environmental and labour organizations. You can see it online at: migrantrights.ca/resources/regularization-in-canada/
A fair society is one with equal rights and that is only possible with full and permanent immigration status. We at PHM urge you to support regularization of all undocumented people as well as permanent resident status for all migrant students, workers and families.
We look forward to hearing from you at canada@phm-na.org
PHM and half a million migrants are counting on you to support regularization to demonstrate your commitment to human rights.
Anne-Emanuelle Birn, MA, ScD
Professor and Acting Chair, Global Development Studies
University of Toronto
Nikisha Khare, MD, MPH
Family Medicine Resident
University of British Columbia
On behalf of People’s Health Movement – Canada
TO: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
BCC:
randy.boissonnault@parl.gc.ca
Carla.Qualtrough@parl.gc.ca
Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca
Jonathan.Wilkinson@parl.gc.ca
joyce.murray@parl.gc.ca
Dan.Vandal@parl.gc.ca
dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca
ginette.petitpastaylor@parl.gc.ca
gudie.hutchings@parl.gc.ca
Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca
sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca, minister@cic.gc.ca
Ahmed.Hussen@parl.gc.ca
Anita.Anand@parl.gc.ca
Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca
carolyn.bennett@parl.gc.ca
Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca
Filomena.Tassi@parl.gc.ca
Helena.Jaczek@parl.gc.ca
kamal.khera@parl.gc.ca
Karina.Gould@parl.gc.ca
marci.ien@parl.gc.ca
Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca
mark.holland@parl.gc.ca
Mary.Ng@parl.gc.ca
Mona.Fortier@parl.gc.ca
omar.alghabra@parl.gc.ca
Patty.Hajdu@parl.gc.ca
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca
David.Lametti@parl.gc.ca
Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
Francois-Philippe.Champagne@parl.gc.ca
Jean-Yves.Duclos@parl.gc.ca
Marc.Miller@parl.gc.ca
marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca
Pablo.Rodriguez@parl.gc.ca
pascale.st-onge@parl.gc.ca
Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca