A little less than a hundred people gathered Saturday afternoon in Montreal to denounce the delay in the adoption of a program for the regularization of undocumented people in Canada.
The demonstrators, braving the rain, gathered in front of the Lionel-Groulx metro station. “Legalization for everyone, deportation no more ! », chanted one of them, sign in hand.
The group present on Saturday afternoon is calling for the establishment of an inclusive program aimed at the regularization of undocumented people and the abolition of the closed work permit, that is to say associated with a single employer. The demonstrators also call on the government to stop the deportation and detention of people who do not have immigration status.
“We want justice. We will continue to come as long as there is not an accessible and permanent regularization program,” maintains Samira Jasmin, of the organization Solidarité sans frontières.
Inflation, the housing crisis and the fear of arrest and deportation create immense suffering for workers without status. Furthermore, women without status who experience attacks and harassment are particularly vulnerable, adds Nina Gonzalez, of the Center for Immigrant Workers.
“We must take care of people without status so that they have access to permanent residence and public services,” added Mario Beauchemin, vice-president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec.
Two other similar gatherings took place at the same time in Quebec and Rimouski.