The Immigrant Workers Centre has released a new study by its Women’s Committee that sheds light on the harsh and often abusive conditions experienced by women without legal status in Québec. The research, based on seventy five participants with three excluded for methodological reasons, documents widespread physical and psychological violence as well as serious threats to health and basic rights. Lack of legal status emerges as a central factor shaping... Read more →
On Saturday morning migrants refugees and allies from across Quebec gathered in the heart of Montreal. They came together to defend their dignity and to denounce a growing wave of political attacks. For many months governments have pushed harsh measures that make life harder for people without permanent status. The crowd carried signs that called for justice and for a future where no one is treated as a threat. The... Read more →
The “Draw the Line” rally was held in Montreal to denounce social and climate injustices and to demand a just and sustainable future. Yesterday, the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC-CTI) took part in this gathering, which brought together unions, community groups, and social justice activists under one common message: it is time to draw the line. A line against systemic exploitation of workers, a line against cuts to public services, and... Read more →
Yesterday, the Canada International Migrants Alliance (IMA - Canada Chapter) and allied organizations in Quebec, led by the newest member Conseil Migrant, held a powerful rally in the immigrant neighborhood of Parc-Extension to mark the World Day Against Trafficking of Persons. We raised our voices in strong opposition to the fascist and authoritarian immigration Bill C-2. If enacted, this bill will further criminalize migrants and refugees rather than addressing the... Read more →
In the days leading up to the premiere of the Punjabi-language play Ram Mohammad Singh Azad: The Spirit of Freedom, multiple Montreal-based media outlets published in-depth coverage highlighting the importance of the production and the people behind it. Developed and performed by newcomers in Parc-Extension and supported by the Immigrant Workers Centre’s Arts in the Margins program, Comité d’action de Parc-Extension (C.A.P.E.), and the South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC),... Read more →
Seeking asylum is not a crime—it is a fundamental, internationally recognized human right. Yet, as Canada reviews its border and immigration frameworks, Amnesty International Canada is sounding the alarm: proposed changes under Bill?C?2 and entrenched policies like the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) risk stripping away the protections afforded to those fleeing persecution Introduced in June?2025 and misleadingly titled the “Strong Borders Act,” Bill?C?2 includes provisions that could: Set a... Read more →
Today, as politicians in Ottawa issue hollow statements about “welcoming refugees” and celebrating Canada’s “humanitarian values,” we at the Immigrant Workers Centre refuse to join in their hypocrisy. World Refugee Day is not a celebration—it is a moment of mourning and rage. While the government waves its diversity flag abroad, it continues to build a fortress at home. This year, the new government of Prime Minister Mark Carney—a former banker... Read more →
Montreal, 26 September 2024. - Faced with the entry into force of new restrictions on the Temporary Foreign Worker Programme (TFWP), 54 community, trade union, university, student and advocacy organisations and groups are protesting against the deleterious effects of the measures taken against temporary foreign workers. Instead of improving access to fundamental and labour rights for migrants and immigrants, the measures taken recently and for over a year now have... Read more →

