In Photos: Dozens march for migrant worker rights in downtown Ottawa

A rainy afternoon didn’t hinder more than two dozen Migrante Ottawa protestors who marched from Confederation Park to Parliament Hill Sept. 18 to advocate for undocumented migrant workers living in Canada.

Migrante Ottawa, a non-profit organization that promotes the rights and welfare of undocumented workers, with a focus on Filipino migrants, affiliates itself with the Migrante International social movement that started in 1995.

Sunday’s protest displayed solidarity for migrant workers who have limited access to services, employee benefits and health care, as well as difficulty becoming permanent residents. Migrante Ottawa also dedicates itself to calling out injustices committed by the Government of the Philippines.

For event organizer Mary Jane, who has volunteered with Migrante Ottawa for a year, the protest was about giving back to the people who supported her through her own challenges as a migrant.

“I am here as a caregiver and I’ve previously worked in organizations dedicated to fighting against human trafficking,” Jane told attendees. “Because [Migrante Ottawa is] helping me, I just want to be able to return the favour. I’m an immigrant worker myself, so I know the struggle that these people go through.”

Jane added she wants to give the voiceless a platform to spread their message, whether in Canada or the Philippines.

After opening speeches, the protestors walked their signs and raincoats to Parliament Hill while chanting refrains like “from Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go” through megaphones to articulate the barriers migrant workers face.

“Status is perhaps the biggest barrier migrants face when they come to the country and, if they have something like temporary status, there are a lot of limitations as to what they can do.”

Alongside Migrante Ottawa stood groups including Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ), a national public advocacy organization that pushes for better policies on climate justice, refugee and migrant rights and poverty eradication. For CPJ members such as Carleton University graduate student Emilio Rodriguez, protests are critical in the move to ease migrants’ access to essential services and permanent resident status.

“Status is perhaps the biggest barrier migrants face when they come to the country and, if they have something like temporary status, there are a lot of limitations as to what they can do in terms of employment, access to health care, and travel to and from the country,” he said.

Rodriguez, who’s been with CPJ for a year, works as a policy manager who collaborates with other people on solutions and policies that they eventually propose to the federal government.

Most recently, CPJ worked with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to eradicate the detention of immigrants in Canada through a campaign called #WelcomeToCanada.

Sinda Garziz, another Migrante Ottawa volunteer, has participated in the international migrant status movement for nine years.

“I was one of the lucky and privileged immigrants that came to Canada as a student but was still extorted for my money,” Garziz said. “I was paying three times more in tuition, when I wasn’t necessarily getting more rights and accommodation.”

When asked what she would tell Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a hypothetical meeting, Garziz offered a simple message to summarize what she and protestors around her are pushing for.

“Give everyone permanent residence,” she said. “It doesn’t take much from the government.”

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Featured image by Ali Adwan.