After bridging the gap for personal support workers by working with agencies in Hamilton during the worst of the pandemic, Jane, a failed refugee claimant from Uganda fleeing oppression because of her sexual orientation, was eager to ” learn more about the federal government’s new path to permanent residence. for healthcare workers.
The program was introduced in April to keep skilled workers in Canada, as part of a larger goal of accepting 401,000 new permanent residents this year.
But out of 20,000 places reserved for health workers, only 5,466 people had applied by October 21. Migrant rights advocates say it’s because the program’s parameters are too restrictive, and there are many more immigrant healthcare workers who would like to apply but don’t qualify.
Jane, who identifies as a lesbian, arrived here in 2017, fleeing a homophobic and abusive relationship and a family that had denied her because of her sexual orientation. In his country of origin, the law prohibits sexual acts “against the order of nature”, punishable by imprisonment, and many LGBTQ + people remain locked up for fear of social and physical reprisals.
She applied for asylum in Canada but was refused, leaving her to work and live without formal immigration status.
Throughout the pandemic, Jane worked as a personal home support worker in the Hamilton area and caught COVID-19 on the job.
“Very many PSWs have been exposed to COVID,” Jane, who did not want her last name released because she feared deportation, told CBC Hamilton this week.
“I really risked my life to help another person. I have always enjoyed serving the community.”
Need to expand program criteria
When she heard about the from temporary resident to permanent resident, with 20,000 places reserved for health workers, she was elated, but her hopes were dashed when she learned it was not open to undocumented migrants or asylum seekers.
“It’s so sad,” said Jane, who can no longer apply for a new job now that her social insurance number has expired, but believes she cannot return to Uganda either. She currently lives with friends in Ontario, but has moved from Hamilton.
“I wish they would call one-on-one and hear our views [and] reconsider, as long as you worked and helped someone during the pandemic… I prayed every day that I would be reconsidered. “
The Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident pathway offers places for a total of 90,000 people with “Canadian work experience in an essential occupation or in the health or health services field”, or those who have recently obtained their graduation from a Canadian post-secondary institution. While there is an unlimited number of places available for Francophone applicants, the program limits for Anglophones have been exceeded for both recent graduates and essential workers outside of healthcare.
Alexander Cohen, press secretary for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), told CBC Hamilton that the program is “the most inclusive and innovative program ever launched by IRCC. Its size, speed and reach are unprecedented ”.
However, the program is due to expire on November 5 with more than 14,000 empty spaces in the health care section.
The relatively low number of applications from healthcare workers shows that the criteria need to be broadened, according to the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, who held an online press conference Wednesday to push for change.
They say language requirements eliminate people who are unable to pass language tests, as well as the many undocumented workers with no path to residency or citizenship. Currently, to be eligible, you must already have a temporary work or study permit.
Other closed opportunities
The government launched a separate but similar program last year, dubbed the Guardian Angel Program, for healthcare workers who are also asylum seekers.
Cohen of the IRCC said “This groundbreaking initiative offers a unique avenue for undocumented asylum seekers who have contributed so much to Canada’s fight against the pandemic in our hospitals and long-term care homes.”
Both programs represent a change of approach for Canada, he said. “These bold initiatives represent a paradigm shift in our immigration system, a system more inclusive than ever.
However, applications for the Guardian Angel program ended on August 31, leaving those like Jane with no options unless the other program changes the criteria.
“Changing these rules, ensuring access for migrants, asylum seekers, undocumented people without economic, professional and linguistic restrictions is obvious,” said Syed Hussan, executive director of the alliance. “Otherwise, those stains will just evaporate.”
In addition, his organization wants all barriers to status removed and is pushing for “full and permanent immigration status for all, immediately and in the future, as the only mechanism to ensure equality.”
Karen Cocq, the alliance’s campaigns coordinator, said Jane did not apply to the Guardian Angels program. “It is not clear whether she would have qualified. As we argued at the time, the criteria for this program were extremely exclusive, and it closed in August, so it is puzzling that the government is still doing praising a program that no longer exists as a program in response to our demand that they let these workers apply to a program that is still open but unused. ”
Sarah Wayland, senior project manager at the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council, said expanding eligibility for the permanent residency route to undocumented workers would help the government meet its own goals, but would also be a “no-go” decision. previous “.
She says the federal government’s 2021 target of 401,000 new permanent residents is one of the highest it has set, and it plans to increase that target by 10,000 for each of the next two years. One of the best ways to achieve these goals is to attract immigrants already in the country, she says, noting that more and more new immigrants are arriving here as temporary residents, then seeking routes to permanence. .
“People come here with temporary international student or temporary worker status, and once they have established a base here and have Canadian experience, they can apply through a patchwork of programs to be able to stay in. Canada and obtain permanent residency, ”Wayland told CBC Hamilton on Thursday.
She believes that a program like the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway is a step in the right direction, as it provides opportunities for people who want to take essential jobs, often in the service, instead of giving residency to people. hold a graduate degree and then expect to work outside of their expertise.
“It seems to fit better,” she said, adding that “there is a lot of room to open up immigration to allow more flow of essential workers.”
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