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Dear friends and supporters: This is an URGENT NATIONAL ALERT being sent out by our allies in No One IsIllegal Toronto. Approximately 100 (exact figures unconfirmed) migrant and non-status workers have been detained in large-scale workplace enforcement actions in Ontario, primarily in the Greater Toronto Area district.
There has been minimal media reporting on these huge-scale operations, a local report on one of the raids in Bradford is available at: http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1508182
If you are in Toronto, there is an Emergency Action on Sunday April 5th at 11 am, 385 Rexdale Boulevard. Details at: http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/
DETAILS ON THE RAIDS: April 4, 2009 - Executing massive and unprecedented US-style raids in East Toronto, Leamington, and Bradford/Simcoe County, the Canada Border Services Agency has arrested and detained over 100 migrant workers across Southern Ontario, who are now languishing in detention centres. Hundreds of families and friends are wondering right now why their loved ones have not returned from work. The hundreds of thousands of non-status people across Canada have woken up to a horrible day in Kanada.
On early Thursday morning, enforcement officers stormed into three different businesses in Bradford and Markham where they arrested migrant workers. CBSA even followed workers to their homes throughout the GTA and surrounding areas. In total 80 people were arrested. They were placed on GO buses, handcuffed and held immobile for hours.
"One of my relatives was arrested in the raid. She called me from jail this morning. She and her co-workers are terrified that they may be deported at any time," said Jonathan Canchela, chair of the Filipino Migrant Workers Movement- and member of Migrante-Ontario.
On the same day in Leamington, eight agricultural workers were arrested. The workers were traveling to the farm where they work with a contractor when they were pulled over and arrested. Simultaneously over a dozen agricultural workers were arrested in East Toronto on the Danforth, some from their homes.
"In this economic crisis, companies are hiring us to save money. In my case, I've no work permit. I need to send money for my children to go to school. That is why I have to work. There are so many like me in this country, more than a million. Why not a regularization program so we can pay taxes. Many of us are skilled and qualified and could help the country at the same time as we send the money back home", says Henry, who was
arrested on Thursday and is presently in the Detention Centre.
Following the large workplace raids in June 2008, these coordinated attacks and arrests show Harper and Immigration Minister Kenney's intention to terrorize those they consider the weakest - Tamil, Vietnamese, Laotian, Mexican, Caribbean, Thai, Filipino and Chinese workers simply trying to survive. In the middle of this recession, the Tory government is spending money and energy on arresting people, piling them into detention centers and buying their plane tickets, instead of supporting social services for those in need.
Detention Reviews are taking place in Toronto at various locations including the Heritage Detention Centre on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds of us will be outside the Heritage Inn on Sunday at 11am to show our
disgust and anger - we are not disposable workers to be used and tossed away at Harper's whims. We refuse to be brutalized and silenced! Condemn Harper and tell the CBSA that migrant communities will not tolerate these attacks!
Sunday April 5th - Emergency Demonstration to Stop the Raids!
URGENT NATIONAL ALERT: IMMIGRATION RAIDS
PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY
(Know your rights during workplace raids download)
Sunday, April 5th - 11am
385 Rexdale Boulevard
Buses leave 9:30 am (St. George and Bloor)
On Thursday and Friday, Immigration enforcement raided a number of workplaces in Southern Ontario, arresting and detaining workers with precarious immigration status on their way to and from work. Over a hundred workers are now languishing in detention centres.
On early Thursday morning, enforcement officers stormed into three different businesses in Bradford and Markham where they arrested migrant workers. CBSA even followed workers to their homes throughout the GTA and surrounding area. In total 80 people were arrested. They were placed on GO buses, handcuffed and held immobile for hours.
On the same day in Leamington, eight agricultural workers were arrested. The workers were traveling to the farm where they work with a contractor when they were pulled over and arrested.
Simultaneously over a dozen agricultural workers were arrested in East Toronto on the Danforth, some from their homes.
Hundreds of families and friends are wondering why their loved ones did not return from work. The hundreds of thousands of non-status people across Canada have woken up to a horrible day in Stephen Harper's Canada. Mass arrests do nothing but create fear, harassment and intimidation, and force all people with precarious status into further exploitation.
Following the large workplace raids in June 2008, these coordinated attacks and arrests show Harper and Immigration Minister Kenney's intention to terrorize those they consider the weakest - Tamil, Vietnamese, Laotian, Mexican, Caribbean, Thai, Filipino and Chinese workers simply trying to survive. In the middle of this recession, the Tory government is spending money and energy on arresting people, piling them into detention centers and buying their plane tickets, instead of supporting social services for those in need.
Detention Reviews are taking place in Toronto at various locations including the Heritage Detention Centre on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds of us will be outside the Heritage Inn on Sunday at 11am to show our disgust and anger - we are not disposable workers to be used and tossed away at Harper's whims. We refuse to be brutalized and silenced! Condemn Harper and tell the CBSA that migrant communities will not tolerate these attacks!
JOIN US!
Buses depart at 9:30 am from Bloor and St. George Street.
Allies across the GTA are urged to get on cars, buses and trains and meet us at the Heritage Inn (385 Rexdale Boulevard).
Further details will be released as we learn more.
To get to the Heritage Inn Detention Centre (385 Rexdale Blvd):
By TTC:
Fastest: Go to Kipling Subway Station, take the Martin Grove Bus (46 Bus) to Rexdale Boulevard, walk west about 4 blocks to the innocent looking hotel with the big rally in front beside the Budget rent-a-car
Slower but less walking:
Go to Islington Subway Station and take the 37A Bus – it drops you in front of the Detention Centre but comes very rarely.
By Car:
From Toronto, take the westbound Gardiner. Take the 427 northbound. Get off at Rexdale Blvd and go east. Go past Hwy 27 and the Heritage is on the right after the Budget Rent-A-Car.
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No One Is Illegal-Toronto
Migrante Ontario
Justicia for Migrant Workers
Caregivers Community Support Centre
PCLS Workers Rights Division
Law Union of Ontario
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| know your rights immigration raids.doc |
Migrante ON
Justicia for Migrant Workers
PCLS Workers Rights Division
Law Union of Onatario
Caregivers Community Support Centre
No One is Illegal-Vancouver
NEW: visit our updated site
http://noii-van.resist.ca
To subscribe to low-traffic email annoucement list email noii-van@resist.ca
web: http://noii-van.resist.ca
email: noii-van@resist.ca
(604)682-3269 x 7149
No One is Illegal-Vancouver is a grassroots anti-colonial immigrant/refugee rights community collective with leadership from members of migrant and/or racialized backgrounds. As a movement for self-determination that challenges the ideology of immigration controls, we are in full confrontation with Canadian border policies; denouncing and taking action to combat racial profiling, detention and deportation, the national security apparatus, law enforcement brutality, and exploitative working conditions of migrants.
We struggle for the right for our communities to maintain their livelihoods and resist war, occupation, and displacement; while supporting indigenous sisters and brothers fighting theft of land and colonization.
We also place ourselves within the broader movement for global social justice that struggles against capitalism, militarism, oppression, poverty, imperialism, and other systems of domination and exploitation.
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written by Fred, April 06, 2009
written by Patty, April 18, 2009
written by Adam C. Sieracki, May 11, 2009
The real problem with throwing our doors open to every would-be immigrant is urban sprawl. This has become too un-PC an issue for even the 'green' movement to discuss. The David Suzuki foundation gets considerable funding from both RBC and BMO...both of which advocate nearly doubling our already absurdly-high immigration levels (from 250k-400k/year). While bringing in all of these warm bodies keeps the real-estate and construction sectors (and mortgage lenders) booming, the environmental cost is horrendous. All of the New Urbanist planning initiatives won't stop the loss of farmland and greenspace, along with stress on the fresh-water supply, caused by increasing our population. Only about 5% of Canada's land is arable, and that's where these immigrants are settling. We need severe curbs on immigration, to safeguard our environment and food supply. We can't act as a refuge for the developing world, with its irresponsibly high birthrates and ethno-religious conflicts.
