Regularization Campaign

Montreal Protest Against Deportations

Around fifty people gathered on Friday outside the office of federal MP Marjorie Michel in Montreal, responding to a call from the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC-CTI) to demand an immediate halt to the deportation of the Singh-Rani family and a temporary suspension of deportations of rejected refugee claimants until their humanitarian applications have been fully assessed. The demonstration took place amid an unprecedented increase in deportations across Canada. According to... Read more →

Emergency Town Hall on Bill C-12: Organize Now to Defend Migrant Justice

This Saturday, the Immigrant Workers’ Centre and the Migrant Justice Clinic are calling an emergency town hall in response to Bill C-12, a dangerous piece of legislation that threatens to deepen deportations, weaken refugee protections, and expand state control over migrant lives. At a time when migrant workers, asylum seekers, and undocumented people already face growing precarity, Bill C-12 represents a major escalation. It opens the door to broader deportation... Read more →

March 21 Is Not Just a Commemoration, It Is an Ongoing Struggle

On March 21, hundreds took to the streets of Montreal in a powerful demonstration for justice for all migrants. This was not a symbolic gathering but a living expression of broad solidarity bringing together students, housing groups, unions, precarious migrant workers, temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, and those resisting deportations. Notre manifestation du 21 mars This mobilization took place on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a... Read more →

Stop the deportation of Ranjit Singh

On Friday March 6th, Mr. Ranjit Singh will be deported and removed from his community here in Parc-Extension to be sent to India where he will face persecution. This deportation will cause undue harm both to Mr Ranjit Singh and to his family. Call for Support: We are asking allies, and community members to stand in solidarity with Ranjit Singh who has been an active member of the Immigrant Workers... Read more →

Stop the Arbitrary Powers in Bill C12

In a significant political development, a Senate committee has recommended removing the broad immigration powers from the border bill C12, following mounting warnings from human rights organizations, lawyers, and refugee advocates. They clearly warned that the proposed legislation could violate human rights and lacks basic procedural fairness. This recommendation did not come out of nowhere. Parliamentary debate revealed that the bill grants the government sweeping authority to cancel or suspend... Read more →

Bill C12 and the Manufactured Crisis of Migration

The federal government claims it is restoring balance to the immigration system. In reality it is dismantling pathways that thousands of migrant workers refugees and international students relied on in good faith. Bill C12 now moving toward Senate review is not an administrative adjustment. It is a political decision to make life more precarious for people who already carry the heaviest burdens of this economy. Ottawa has announced its intention... Read more →

The adoption of Bill C-12 will put the safety of migrant people at risk

Paule Fontep, a member of the Immigrant Workers Centre of the Outaouais, participated in a press conference organized by two NDP Members of Parliament, Leah Gazan and Jenny Kwan, in collaboration with the Fédération des femmes du Québec, Action Réfugiés Montréal, Amnesty International Canada, and the Canadian Council for Refugees. The event, which took place in Ottawa on December 9, aimed to challenge Bill C-12, titled An Act respecting certain... Read more →

New study exposes the hidden reality faced by women without status

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 →

Migrants, Refugees, and Allies Unite for Justice and Regularization

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 →

Draw the Line: Denouncing Injustices, Demanding a Just and Sustainable Future

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 →

Rally in Parc-Extension Marks World Day Against Trafficking of Persons

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 →

A Punjabi-language play by newcomers receives wide local media attention

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 →

Amnesty International Canada Urges Immediate Action to Uphold the Rights of People Seeking Safety

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 →

No Refuge in Fortress Canada: On World Refugee Day, We Refuse Hypocrisy

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 →

Temporary Foreign Worker Programme: Abolish the ‘closed’ permit instead of punishing the victims!

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 →