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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY March 16 - 31, 2019
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New Cross-Canada Network Launches Today to
Fight Racism and Xenophobia
Canada - Actions are taking
place in over a dozen cities this
week from Halifax to Vancouver as
part of the launch of the Migrant
Rights Network, a new cross-
Canada alliance to demand pro-
migrant, anti-racist laws and
policies, including permanent
residence status for all. The Migrant
Rights Network’s formation, in
advance of the federal elections,
has been given added urgency
after the white supremacist attacks
in New Zealand that left at least 50
Muslims dead.
“After decades of job loss,
wage stagnation and service
cuts, people across the country
are increasingly worried about
the future. Politicians are responding
to this fear, not by raising wages or
expanding public services, but by
demonizing migrants and refugees,”
says Syed Hussan from Migrant
Workers Alliance for Change in
Toronto. “This divisiveness has created
a dangerous political environment,
and must be stopped.”
Since the Quebec City Mosque
shooting in 2017 that left 6 dead
and served as a blueprint for the
New Zealand shooter, police reported
hate crimes have increased by 47%
in Canada. At least 300 known
white supremacist organizations are
currently active across the country.
“CAQ won a majority after
campaigning on an anti-immigrant
and anti-Muslim platform. We will
not allow federal political parties to
repeat this disturbing and dangerous
strategy,” says Niel La Dode from
Immigrant Workers Centre in
Montreal. “At the end of the day, we all
want the same things: decent work,
the ability to provide for our families,
a life with dignity. The politicians
and corporations who deny us these
basic rights are the real problem,
not migrants, not refugees, not
undocumented people.”
Under
current
immigration
policies, 700,000 people, over 70% of
migrants who arrive in Canada each
year, are shut out from basic services,
such as healthcare and education,
because of unfair temporary permits.
This denial happens despite migrants
and refugees paying for public services
through municipal, sales and income
taxes.
“The social safety net is being
pulled away from us while corporations
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get massive tax cuts. Politicians
want us fighting for scraps, and
blaming immigrants for their
economic mess. We can’t be
distracted. We must demand
the fundamental changes our
communities need,” says Marco
Luciano, of Migrante Canada
from Edmonton.
The Migrant Rights Network
is
demanding
permanent
residence status for everyone,
decent work and labour
protections, universal access to
social services, real gender and
racial justice, and respect for
indigenous self-determination.
In
addition,
practices
of
displacement and persecution
that force people to migrate including
climate change, wars, corporate
impunity and economic exploitation,
need to be eradicated.
“Indigenous
and
racialized
people suffer at every turn because
of the systemic racism reflected in
Canadian laws and policies. We do not
want piecemeal reforms. It is time for
fundamental changes,” says Stacey
Gomez from Halifax. “No matter
what issue you are concerned about,
uniting against racism right now is
our most urgent task.”