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Click Here to Check Out the No One Is Illegal Deputation to the Standing Committee On Immigration Recently the Conservative government introduced a series of amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), buried in Bill c-50, a 136-page “budget implementation bill”. This fundamentally undemocratic move sneaks in critical changes to Canada’s immigration policy without proposing any of those changes before Parliament. By making it a matter of confidence, the government forces Opposition parties to either accept them or call an election. This series of amendments places more arbitrary power in the hands of the Immigration Minister: - Under the existing s. 11 of the IRPA, anyone who meets the already stringent criteria to enter Canada as a worker, student, visitor, or permanent resident, shall be granted that status. However, under the proposed changes, despite meeting the criteria, the Minister will have the discretion to arbitrarily reject an application. - Sec. 25 currently says that the Minister “shall” examine a Humanitarian and Compassionate application – this is changed to “shall” examine the H&C application if the applicant is in Canada, but only “may” examine the application if the applicant is outside Canada. Although the government claims will have no impact on family reunification, in practice it will have a serious impact on family reunification as H&C applications are one of the most frequent avenues for family reunification (for example separated refugee children). - Proposed s. 87.3 of the Act will allow the Minister to issue “instructions” setting quotas on the “category” of person that can enter Canada – including quotas based on country of origin. This unprecedented modification of IRPA would risk putting in place implicit equivalents to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923, the Order in Council of 1911 prohibiting the landing of “ any immigrant belonging to the Negro race”, that of 1923 excluding “any immigrant of any Asiatic race”, or the “None is too many” rule applied to fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War. - Ministerial power in deciding the order in which new applications are processed, regardless of when they were filed. This means prioritizing immigration applicants based on their ability to fulfill the needs of the Canadian job market, “whether it’s people to wash dishes and make sandwiches, or whether it’s the highly skilled engineers”, as stated by Minister Diane Finley. This is a profoundly dehumanizing and racist conception of immigrants as disposable commodities. - New sections 87.3 (4) and (5) of the IRPA would allow the Minister to simply hold on to, return, or throw out a visa application and deny any opportunity to review that decision in Court. This precedent is truly alarming, especially in the context of a deeply flawed appeals process, including the existing lack of implementation of a Refugee Appeal Division, despite being provided for under IRPA. The Conservatives argue that these changes are necessary to “modernize” the immigration system and reduce the existing backlog. However, the true objective is clear from Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s comments that the government seeks a “competitive immigration system which will quickly process skilled immigrants who can make an immediate contribution to the economy.”
New Endorsers!! See list of over 60 endorsing groups and organizations: May Day of Action Endorsers *This is a child-friendly demonstration. Millions across North America have taken to the streets in the last two years, demanding Status for All! In Toronto, workers, students, trade unionists, activists and community members have led passionate demonstrations calling for justice and dignity for immigrants and refugees. We continue to fight against the Conservative government's ongoing attacks on migrant communities. The last year has seen unprecedented targeting of refugees in Sanctuary. Asylum seekers have been arrested from schools, workplaces and even hospital beds. Families have been torn apart. Over 12,000 friends, family, and community members have been deported. On March 14th 2008, the Conservative government introduced a series of amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), buried in Bill c-50, a 136-page "budget implementation bill". If passed, the Minister will have the discretion to refuse applications even where the applicants meet the elitist and racist criteria for permanent residence, to refuse to even examine humanitarian applications filed from abroad, and to arbitrarily set quotas on the "category" of person that can enter Canada – including quotas based on country of origin. In the face of intimidation and fear, our communities have refused to be silenced. Together, we have forced immigration enforcement out of Toronto District schools. Inspired frontline community workers have taken up the struggle for Access Without Fear. We have fought and won a full Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy at many community agencies.
GTA CAMPUSES CELEBRATE STAY ON DEPORTATION OF YORK SCHOLAR! Students and Faculty Continue to Organise to Demand Status for All! TORONTO- Shaken by the outrage of protestors who poured into York University's Vary Hall on Wednesday, Immigration Canada was forced to grant Sarah (Saint-Sierra) Leonty a 2 year stay in Canada while her Humanitarian and Compassionate Application is processed. Sarah's mother and two younger siblings slated for deportation yesterday, had their deportation cancelled and were also granted a 2 year stay. The crowd consisted of students and faculty from York, U of T and Ryerson all demanding that Sarah be allowed to stay. Student and labour unions, along with faculty and community organisations took to the mic calling on York University to declare itself a sanctuary school to be free of Immigration Enforcement. Amidst chants, echoing "Education, Not Deportation! Access Not Fear" and "Status for Sarah! Status for All!" University President Shoukri was pressured to issue a statement in support of this case. Sarah bravely stated, "This is not just about my case. York University should take the lead in implementing a Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy so that all students can access education, regardless of their immigration status." "It's a shame that undocumented students like Sarah, people who have lived, worked and participated in communities here can be treated as second class residents. Economically they are one of the most marginalized groups, yet post-secondary institutions demand they pay impossibly high international student fees," said Jen Hassum, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students- Ontario. "As faculty, I'm inspired to see students organizing to reclaim the university as their space. York should be a safe place of learning and a sanctuary zone that is free of Immigration Enforcement" said David McNally, Chair of York's Political Science Department.
Mar 26 2008 - 11:00am Etc/GMT+5 25 St. Clair Ave E. (on St. Clair, just east of Yonge) Abdel-Kader Belaouni is a disabled man who has been forced to take sanctuary in a Montreal church. He is there so he won't be deported to detention in the U.S. and ultimately to conflict ridden Algeria where his safety would be jeopardized and there are few services for the blind. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 - 11AM Disabled people who come to Canada face tremendous barriers. Each year they are denied entry or status in Canada because of their disabilities. These shameful and discriminatory practices must stop. Come out and tell the government to grant status to Kader. We as disabled people and our supporters, will tell the federal government to remove ableism and racism from the Immigration Act and stop all of its ableist and racist practices. Organised by DAMN 2025 and No One Is Illegal-Toronto
***************************** ENDORSEMENTS ***************************** Presently endorsed by: York Federation of Students• York University Faculty Association - Race Equity Caucus• Canadian Federation of Students• International Development Studies Students Association• Atkinson Students Association• York Graduate Students Association• Trent Graduate Students Union• York Sociology Graduate Association• Upping the Ante• Young Communist League at York University• No One Is Illegal-Toronto• Fair Trade Coalition at York University• Student Christian Movement , York University Unit• CUPE 3902 - Educational Workers Union at the University of Toronto• CUPE 3903 -International Solidarity Working Group • Campus Riot• Sikh Activist Network• United South Asians at York• OPIRG York• OPIRG Toronto• The Centre for Women & Trans People at York University• Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian and Gay Association at York University (TBLGAY)• Students Against Israeli Apartheid - York University • The Peterborough Coalition for Palestine• York for Burma• Sustainable Purchase Coalition - York University• Ryerson Arab Students Association • Ryerson Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR)• United Black Students at Ryerson• Urban Alliance• Prof. Pablo Idahosa, York• Prof. David Mcnally, York• Prof. Luin Goldring, York• Assistant Prof. Anna Agathangelou (Political Science, York)• Kari Dehli, Chair, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT• Margrit Eichler, Professor, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT• Michael Nijhawan (Department of Sociology, York)•
Mar 8 2008 - 12:30pm Etc/GMT+5 MARCH ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Migrante Ontario, No One Is Illegal, Justice for Migrant As migrant workers, we are faced in particular with racism, On International Women's Day, we march in solidarity
Friday, February 29th Suggested donation $10. FEATURING PERFORMERS *LAL Last May, workers, students, trade unionists, activists and community members led a passionate demonstration through Toronto calling for justice and dignity for immigrants and refugees. This May, we will once again take to the streets. We will demand an end to detentions and deportations. We will demand access without fear to essential services. We will demand an end to security certificates and secret trials. We will demand a full and inclusive regularization program. We will demand justice, dignity and respect! For information on how you can get involved, contribute or buy advanced tickets, please contact No One Is Illegal-Toronto at nooneisillegal@riseup.net
No Olympics on Stolen Land Great Lakes & East Coast Tour 2008 TORONTO TOUR DATE: NOTE: Signs will be posted with the room number at the building entrances FEATURING Kanahus Pellkey (Native Youth Movement) With the 2010 Winter Olympics scheduled to occur on unceded Coast Salish, St'at'imc and Squamish territory in two years, the spectacle surrounding them continues to wreak havoc on Indigenous people, poor people, and the Earth. In the spirit of resistance to colonialism, with the 2010 Olympics as a main target, Kanahus Pellkey of the Native Youth Movement and Native youth Dustin Johnson are touring throughout the Great Lakes and East Coast in January and February 2008. "By them choosing to have the Olympics here, it's opening up our land, our In October 2007, more than 1500 Indigenous people representing communities
Watch the video (Courtesy of our comrades at Stolen From Africa): Toronto J26 Action Video On Saturday, January 26th actions in Mississauga, Ontario took place at the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre (the enforcement arm of Citizenship and Immigration Canada) as part of an action in solidarity with two men in sanctuary in Vancouver and Montreal. Over 100 demonstrators from Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, London and other cities in southwestern Ontario organized and mobilized to deliver written statements in solidarity with Laibar Singh and Abdel Kader Belaouni and calling on STATUS FOR ALL! At 10:30am on Saturday morning, a bus load of demonstrators coming from downtown Toronto linked up with dozens of members of the Sikh community who came prepared with drums, a food truck and signs reading "End State Racism" and "No One Is Illegal". Demonstrators rallied outside of the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre on Airport Road before marching to the building in an attempt to deliver the letters of support to the GTEC officials. GTEC's response...to go on lockdown....unwilling to even allow a small delegation to deliver the letters staff and security at the GTEC office locked the doors and barricaded the entrances in an effort to shut out the people seeking justice for Mr. Singh and Mr. Belaouni. Chants of "Let them Stay" and "Status for All" flooded the building and could be heard from miles away! Gurratan Singh Dhaliwal from the Sikh Activist Network reminded the crowd that "this isn't just about Laiber Singh and Abdel Kader Belaouni, but all people living here without status! We demand status for all!" The actions were organized as part of National Days of Action called in Montreal and Vancouver in solidarity with Abdel Kader Belaouni and Laibar Singh respectively. As immigration enforcement increases its targetting of Laibar Singh and Abdel-Kader Belaouni, people across Canada are demonstrating in the thousands to demand justice for non-status people living in sanctuary, and to demand status for all!
We have just received confirmation from the Freeman family that Gary Freeman has withdrawn his appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada and will face extradition to Chicago's Cook County Prison at any moment. Natercia Coehlo, Gary's wife, is planning on joining Gary in Chicago to continue to fight for his freedom. We are putting a call out to all allies and friends in the Prisoners' Justice movement in Canada and the United States to please send us contacts in Chicago that may be able to support Gary Freeman's case there. Any information can be emailed to: nooneisillegal@riseup.net The family is deciding next steps as to what they feel will be helpful from folks in Toronto and we will be keeping you up to date as soon as we have information. Please stay posted. You can get more information on Gary Freeman by visiting his website www.freemandrum.org The following is Gary's most recent statement posted on his website... |
No One is Illegal (Toronto) is a group of immigrants, refugees and allies who fight for the rights of all migrants to live with dignity and respect.
We believe that granting citizenship to a privileged few is part of a racist immigration and border policies designed to exploit and marginalize migrants. We work to oppose these policies, as well as the international economic policies that create the conditions of poverty and war that force migration. At the same time, it is part of our ongoing work to support and build alliances with Indigenous peoples in their fight against colonialism, displacement and the ongoing occupation of their land. WE DEMAND:
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