[IPSM] No One Is Illegal-Montreal Newswire/Bulletin de Nouvelles (March 27, 2006) ... Los Angeles ... Six Nations ... Dubai ...
No One Is Illegal Montreal
nooneisillegal at gmail.com
Mon Mar 27 02:49:18 PST 2006
=====
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL-MONTREAL NEWS AND EVENTS DIGEST
BULLETIN DE NOUVELLES ET D'ÉVÉNEMENTS DE PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL
=====
MARCH 27, 2006 -- LE 27 MARS 2006 (1.6)
::::: EVENTS/ÉVÉNEMENTS :::::
1) Film: "Rising Up: The Alams"; part of Making Links: A Benefit for
QPIRG-Concordia Working Groups (April 2)
2) Break the Chains! An evening of spoken word, poetry, music and
resistance in defense of child political prisoners in Palestine (April 19)
::::: ACTION :::::
3) (3 avril) Arrêtez les déportations! Rassemblement en solidarité
avec Amir Hodhod/Stop the deportations! Gathering in support of Amir
Hodhod (April 3)
4) (Amnesty International) Canada: Mostafa Dadar: Fear of forcible
return/Fear of torture/Fear of death penalty/ /Craintes de renvoi
forcé/Craintes de torture/Craintes de condamnation à mort (Amnistie
Internationale)
::::: NEWS/NOUVELLES :::::
5) (TF1-France) Marée humaine à Los Angeles contre une loi sur l'immigration
6) (Radio-Canada-Toronto) Ottawa entreprend l'expulsion des sans-papiers
7) (Le Soleil-Québec) Payer de ses membres pour fuir sa misère
8) (Radio-Canada-Atlantique) Mostafa Dadar combat son expulsion
9) (Radio-Canada-Ontario) Les autochtones refusent de quitter le chantier
10) (Mohawk Nation News) Six Nations Bloodbath Averted: Thanks to
Popular Support
11) (Toronto Star) Protestors vow to remain on stolen Indian land
12) (Immigration News Briefs) Immigrants Hit the Streets: Trenton,
Providence, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Kansas City, Phoenix & San Francisco
13) (LA Times) More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' Rights
14) (Immigration News Briefs) Thousands of students in California walk
out to protest anti-immigrant bills
15) (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) Slideshow and Audio: "A Day Without Latinos"
16) (LA Indymedia) Photos, Video and Audio
17) (Toronto Star) Working in the shadows: Bids for amnesty tied to labour needs
18) (CTV) Planeload of deportees flown to Portugal from Toronto
19) (CBC-New Brunswick) Mostafa Dadar's fate is in court's hands
20) (Windsor Star) Mexican migrant worker's death prompts questions
21) (The Guardian-UK) Riot by migrant workers halts construction of
Dubai skyscraper
22) (AP) More than 2000 Asian migrant workers riot in Dubai
-----
The No One Is Illegal News and Events Digest is a bilingual (English
and French) weekly selection of analysis, news and events, compiled by
the No One Is Illegal collective in Montreal. To subscribe or
unsubscribe, visit:
https://lists.resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/nooneisillegal-l; to
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Le bulletin de nouvelles et d'événements de Persone n'est illégal
rassemble une sélection hebdomadaire et bilingue (anglais - français)
de nouvelles, analyses et événements compilée par le collectif
Personne n'est illégal - Montréal. Pour vous abonner (ou vous
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https://lists.resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/nooneisillegal-l; pour
contribuer au bulletin, contactez-nous par courriel: nooneisillegal at gmail.com
-----
(((((1)))))
--> Making Links: A Benefit for QPIRG-Concordia Working Groups
*FILMS:
- Rising Up: The Alams
- The Heart Has Its Own Memory
- This Black Soil
*DISCUSSION: Making Links, Solidarity With Prisoners
*DJs
*RAFFLE
*FOOD
=============================
DATE: SUN APRIL 2nd
TIME: 5PM
LOCATION: Griffintown Coop
242 Young St. (south on Peel, past Notre-Dame, right on Ottawa, left on
Young...Metro Bonaventure)
DOOR: $5 "no one turned away"
=============================
*we regret that this space is not accessible...a flight of stairs at
the entrance
*smoke-free and scent-free event
*childcare available - with 24hrs notice - call 848-7585
=============================
***5PM***
-RISING UP: THE ALAMS (USA, 2005, 12min)
Dir: Konrad Aderer
An immigrant family, the Alams, are picked up during the special
registration program in the United States after 911. Faced with
removal to persecution they decided to resist with the revolutionary
organization -- Desis Rising Up and Moving -- a South Asian working
class organization.
-THE HEART HAS ITS OWN MEMORY (Canada, 2005, 13 minutes)
Dir: Audrey Huntley
This short film looks at violence against First Nations Women in
Canada, the lack of justice for missing Aboriginal women and racist
police inaction and impunity. Huntley creates a collage of the women's
stories featuring interviews with family members and friends. The film
plays with native oratory and is a testimony to the pain and grief of
the community as a whole and a message of no more silence.
-THIS BLACK SOIL: A STORY OF RESISTANCE AND REBIRTH (USA, 2004, 58 min,
Working Hands Productions)
Dir: Teresa Konechne
This inspiring and provocative new film chronicles the successful
struggle of Bayview, Virginia, a small and severely impoverished rural
African-American community, to pursue a new vision of prosperity.
Catalyzed by the defeat of a state plan to build a maximum-security
prison in their backyard, the powerful women leaders and residents
created the Bayview Citizens for Social Justice, a non-profit
organization, secured $10 million in grants, purchased the proposed
prison site land and are now building a new community from the ground
up. Under the leadership of visionary women, this new rural village
challenges all conventional ideas of community development and
includes not only improved and affordable housing, but a sustainable
economic base to earn a living wage, a community center for educating
its residents, a daycare center, laundromat, and a community farm,
which not only provides jobs and income for the organization, but
returns them to their roots, working on the land.
***7PM***
Discussion: MAKING LINKS: SOLIDARITY WITH PRISONERS
(with members of Recon, No One Is Illegal-Montreal, Books to Prisoners,
Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement (IPSM), etc....)
***9PM***
DJs
Raffle
Food
For more info contact QPIRG-Concordia at 514-848-7585
-----
(((((2))))))
BREAK THE CHAINS!!!
... an evening of spoken word, poetry, music and resistance
... in defense of child political prisoners in Palestine.
:::::
Wednesday April 19, 2006
@ EL SALON
4388 St-Laurent Boulevard
(between Rachel and Mt-Royal)
$5 or pay what you can.
:::::
---
7pm - Film: STOLEN YOUTH (directed by Saed Andoni)
about child political prisoners in Palestine.
7:30pm - Guest speakers from Palestine:
-> Amjad Al Khatib (recently released child political prisoner)
and
-> Ayed Abu Eqtaish (former political prisoner and currently research
co-ordinator for Defence for Children International in Ramallah)
with
-> Kahentinetha Horn (journalist and elder from Kahnawake of Mohawk territory,
speaking about indigenous resistance)
8:30pm - Spoken Word and Poetry
with
-> Rafeef Ziadah (Toronto/Palestine)
and
-> Ehab Lotayef (Montreal/Egypt)
Featuring solidarity statements from North American political
prisoners: Marilyn Buck, David Gilbert, Jaan Laaman, Russell Maroon
Shoats, Jalil Muntaqim, the Cuban Five and Janet and Janine Africa
9:30pm - DJs and Bands!!!
---
Organized and sponsored by: Books to Prisoners-Montreal; the Coalition
Against the Deportation of Palestinian Refugees; Indigenous Peoples
Solidarity Movement (IPSM); International Solidarity Movement
(ISM)-Montreal; Montreal Anarchist Black Cross Federation; No One Is
Illegal-Montreal; Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) at
McGill and Concordia; Twelve Months Political Prisoner/POW Calendar
Project.
National tour organized by SUMOUD: A Political Prisoner Solidarity
Group (http://sumoud.tao.ca)
INFO: ism-montreal at resist.ca or 514-848-7583
-----
(((((3)))))
[English below]
Arrêtez les déportations !
Rassemblement en solidarité avec Amir Hodhod
:::::
Lundi le 3 avril à 11h00,
devant le 1010 Saint-Antoine
(métro Bonaventure, sortie Saint-Antoine)
:::::
INFO: sansfrontieres at resist.ca, 514-848-7583
Il y aura lecture publique de la déclaration d'Amir, suivie d'une
période de mircro ouvert pour ceux et celles qui veulent s'exprimer.
Il y aura également une action symbolique avec des silhouettes en
papier de personnes déportées dans le passé.
Diffusez massivement dans vos réseaux et a vos ami-e-s !
--> SUR LE CAS D'AMIR :
Amir est un écrivain qui a fui l'Égypte il y a sept ans, craignant des
persécutions à cause de son opposition aux idéologies fondamentalistes
et de ses opinions politiques dissidentes. Après avoir quitté
l'Égypte, il a vécu trois ans et demi aux États Unis, avant de quitter
vers le Canada afin d'éviter le racisme qui a suivi les événements du
11 septembre. Au Canada, Amir a fait une demande pour obtenir le
statut de réfugié. Le 14 mars 2006, il a reçu un avis de déportation,
la date étant fixée pour le 6 avril 2006. Amir sera déporté aux
Etats-Unis où il sera presque certainement détenu puis déporté en
Égypte.
Depuis son arrivée en Amérique du Nord, Amir a continué d'exprimer ses
opinions politiques. Il a récemment dénoncé ouvertement la répression
en Égypte durant les récentes élections et le massacre des réfugiés
soudanais à Le Caire.
En tant que membre de Solidarité Sans Frontières, il a marché les sept
jours vers Ottawa en juin 2005 pour revendiquer la régularisation de
tous et toutes les sans statut, la fin de leur déportation et
l'abolition des certificats de sécurité. Amir a également été actif
dans le Réseau des Travailleurs et Travailleuses Solidaires et a été
l'un des fondateurs de la Coalition Égyptienne pour la Justice et à la
Démocratie. Il a, de plus, soutenu plusieurs autres réfugié-e-s en les
aidant à obtenir leur statut et à s'établir à Montréal.
Les abus de l'Égypte envers les droits humains, incluant notamment la
répression de la liberté d'expression, l'emprisonnement et les «
disparitions » de dissidents politiques et d'activistes, la torture
par la police et les militaires et la mort de prisonniers sont des
faits bien documentés. Il serait épouvantable que le Canada renvoie
quiconque affronter ce régime, et particulièrement un dissident
politique qui depuis bien longtemps, en Égypte comme au Canada,
manifeste ouvertement ses opinions.
Cinquante pour cent (50 %) des demandes de statut de réfugié-e sont
refusées à chaque année au Canada. La raison évoquée pour refuser la
demande d'Amir est qu'il ne possédait pas de documents prouvant qu'il
ferait face à la persécution en Égypte. Plusieurs articles écrits par
Amir en Égypte pourraient servir de documentation, mais ils demeurent
en Égypte et il a été impossible jusqu'à maintenant d'y accéder.
Récemment, Amir a réussi à retracer certains de ces articles, mais il
n'a pas été autorisé à les soumettre. Dans la Loi sur l'Immigration du
Canada, il n'existe pas d'occasion pour soumettre de nouvelles preuves
ou pour appeler la décision de la cour. Comme tant d'autres, Amir
s'est vu refuser l'opportunité de présenter son cas comme étant celui
d'un réfugié politique, et sera déporté devant un régime brutal contre
lequel il a été très actif et s'est ouvertement manifesté.
==========
Stop the deportations !
Gathering in solidarity with Amir Hodhod
:::::
Monday, April 3rd at 11:00 A.M.
in front of 1010 Saint-Antoine
(Bonaventure metro, Saint-Antoine exit)
:::::
There will a public reading of Amir's statement, followed by an open
mike for those who want to speak. There will also be a symbolic action
with printed silhouettes of deported people.
Spread the word amongst your networks and to your friends !
--> ABOUT AMIR'S CASE:
Amir is a writer who fled Egypt 7 years ago fearing persecution
because of his opposition to fundamentalist ideologies and dissenting
political views. After leaving Egypt, Amir lived in the US for 3 ½
years, before coming to Canada in 2003 to avoid the post 9-11 racism
in the US. In Canada he made a claim for refugee status. On March
14th, 2006 he was given a deportation date of April 6th, 2006. On this
day, Amir will be deported to the United States where he will almost
certainly be immediately detained and then deported to Egypt.
Since being in North America, Amir has continued to express his views,
most recently speaking out against the repression in Egypt during the
recent elections and the December 2005 massacre of Sudanese refuges in
Cairo.
As a member of Solidarity Across Borders he walked the 7 days to
Ottawa to call for the regularization of all non-status people, an end
to their deportation and detention and the abolition of security
certificates. Amir has also been active in the Worker's Solidarity
Network and was one of founders of the Egyptian Coalition for Justice
and Democracy. He was also very supportive in helping other refugees
get their status and settle in Montreal.
Egypt's human rights abuses, including repression of free speech,
imprisonment or "disappearances" of political dissidents and
activists, torture by police and the military, death of prisoners in
custody, have been well-documented and it is appalling that Canada
would send anyone back to face this regime.
50% of refugee claims are denied in Canada every year. Reasons cited
for denying his claim were that he did not have proper documentation
that he would face persecution. Documentation, in the form of articles
that he had written, remained in Egypt where Amir was unable to access
them. More recently, Amir has been able to track down some of these
articles, but has not been allowed to submit them. Under Canadian law
there is no opportunity to submit new evidence or to appeal this
decision. Like so many others, Amir has been denied the opportunity
to present his case for being a political refugee and is being sent
back to face a brutal regime that he has been very active and
outspoken against.
INFO:
sansfrontieres at resist.ca
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org
514-848-7583
-----
(((((4)))))
[la version française ci-dessous]
Please respond to the following Urgent Action and forward to your networks
PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 20/001/2006
20 March 2006
UA 64/06 Fear of forcible return/Fear of torture/Fear of death
penalty/Legal concern
CANADA Mostafa Dadar (m), Iranian national
The Canadian authorities are preparing to forcibly return Mostafa
Dadar to Iran, where he would be at grave risk or torture or possibly
the death penalty.
Mostafa Dardar was a supporter of the late ruler of Iran, the Shah,
who was overthrown in 1979 by the revolution that installed Ayatollah
Khomeini, whose successors are still in power. He is believed to have
been involved with an organization that was implicated in a failed
attempt to overthrow Khomeini in March 1982. For this he was arrested
and jailed for five years, during which he was tortured. In l987 he
absconded while on leave from prison for medical treatment. He made
his way to Pakistan, where he was recognized as a refugee by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He travelled on to
Canada, where he was granted residency in 1988.
In 1996 he was convicted of aggravated assault. He was found to be a
danger to the public, and in 2002, a month after his release, he was
detained under the Immigration Act to await deportation to Iran.
To forcibly return anyone to a country where they would be at risk of
torture is a violation of Canada's obligations under international
law, including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).
In November 2004 Mostafa. Dadar submitted a complaint against Canada
to the United Nations Committee against Torture claiming he was at
risk of being tortured if he was returned to Iran. The Committee
concluded that "substantial grounds exist for believing that the
complainant may risk being subjected to torture if returned to Iran"
and that his deportation would amount to a breach of article 3 of the
CAT.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Torture has been used systematically in Iran for many years to extract
information and confessions. It is used as a matter of routine in many
Iranian prisons and detention centres.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as
possible, in English, French or your own language:
- expressing concern that the Canadian authorities are preparing to
forcibly return Mostafa Dadar to Iran, where he would be at risk of
torture or even execution;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that he is not forcibly
returned to Iran, in accordance with their obligations under
international law;
- reminding the authorities that forcibly returning anyone to a
country where they would be at risk of torture is absolutely
prohibited under international law, and that the forcible return of
Mostafa Dadar to Iran would violate Canada's obligations under the
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment.
APPEALS TO:
Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Fax: +1 613 995 1154
E-Mail: Day.S at parl.gc.ca
Salutation: Dear Minister
Monte Solberg
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Confederation Building
Ottawa
Canada K1A 0A6
Fax: +1 613 992 6181
Email: solbem at parl.gc.ca
Salutation: Dear Minister
COPIES TO: diplomatic representatives of Canada accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International
Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 1 May
2006.
:::::
CANADA : Mostafa Dadar
CRAINTES DE RENVOI FORCÉ / CRAINTES DE TORTURE/CRAINTES DE
CONDAMNATION À MORT/PRÉOCCUPATIONS D'ORDRE JURIDIQUE
23 mars 2006
AMR 20/001/2006
AU 64/06
CRAINTES DE RENVOI FORCÉ / CRAINTES DE TORTURE CRAINTES DE
CONDAMNATION À MORT PRÉOCCUPATIONS D'ORDRE JURIDIQUE
CANADA : Mostafa Dadar (h), ressortissant iranien
Londres, le 20 mars 2006
Les autorités canadiennes s'apprêtent à renvoyer Mostafa Dadar contre
son gré en Iran, pays où il risquerait fort d'être torturé ou condamné
à la peine capitale.
Mostafa Dadar a été un partisan du chah d'Iran, renversé en 1979 par
la révolution qui a porté au pouvoir Ruhollah Khomeini, dont les
successeurs sont toujours aux affaires. Mostafa Dadar avait
apparemment des liens avec une organisation qui a été mise en cause
pour son implication présumée dans une tentative de coup d'État contre
l'ayatollah Khomeini, en mars 1982. À la suite de l'échec de ce
putsch, il a été arrêté et incarcéré durant cinq années, au cours
desquelles il a été torturé. En 1987, il a pris la fuite à l'occasion
d'une permission de sortie qui lui avait été accordée pour qu'il
puisse recevoir des soins. Il s'est rendu au Pakistan, où il a été
reconnu comme réfugié par le Haut-Commissariat des Nations unies pour
les réfugiés (HCR). Il a ensuite rejoint le Canada, où il a obtenu le
statut de résident en 1988.
En 1996, Mostafa Dadar a été déclaré coupable de voies de fait graves.
Les autorités ont estimé qu'il représentait un danger pour la
population et en 2002, un mois après sa libération, il a été placé en
détention en vertu de la Loi sur l'immigration, dans l'attente d'un
renvoi en Iran.
En renvoyant une personne vers un pays où elle risque d'être torturée,
les autorités canadiennes manqueraient aux obligations qui sont les
leurs en vertu du droit international, et notamment de la Convention
contre la torture et autres peines ou traitements cruels, inhumains ou
dégradants.
En novembre 2004, Mostafa Dadar a porté plainte contre le Canada
auprès du Comité des Nations unies contre la torture, faisant valoir
qu'il risquait d'être torturé s'il était renvoyé en Iran. Le Comité a
conclu : « il existe des motifs sérieux de croire que le requérant
risque d'être soumis à la torture s'il est renvoyé en Iran » ; il a
ajouté que ce renvoi constituerait une violation de l'article 3 de la
Convention contre la torture.
INFORMATIONS GÉNÉRALES
Depuis des années, la torture est systématiquement utilisée en Iran
pour extorquer des informations et des « aveux ». Elle est monnaie
courante dans nombre de prisons et de centres de détention iraniens.
ACTION RECOMMANDÉE : dans les appels que vous ferez parvenir le plus
vite possible aux destinataires mentionnés ci-après (en anglais ou
dans votre propre langue) :
faites part de votre préoccupation à l'idée que les autorités
canadiennes s'apprêtent à renvoyer Mostafa Dadar contre son gré en
Iran, où il pourrait être torturé, voire exécuté ;
exhortez les autorités à veiller à ce que cet homme ne soit pas
renvoyé contre son gré dans son pays d'origine, et ainsi à se
conformer aux obligations qui sont les leurs en vertu du droit
international ;
rappelez aux autorités que le renvoi forcé d'une personne vers un
pays où elle risque d'être torturée est absolument interdit aux termes
du droit international, et que si elles renvoyaient Mostafa Dadar en
Iran contre son gré, elles manqueraient aux obligations qui incombent
à l'État canadien en vertu de la Convention contre la torture et
autres peines ou traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants.
APPELS À :
Ministre de la Sécurité publique : Honourable Stockwell Day Minister
of Public Safety House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6, Canada Fax
: +1 613 995 1154 Courriers électroniques : Day.S at parl.gc.ca Formule
d'appel : Dear Minister, / Monsieur le Ministre,
Ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l'Immigration : Monte Solberg
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Confederation Building Ottawa
K1A 0A6, Canada Fax : +1 613 992 6181 Courriers électroniques :
solbem at parl.gc.ca Formule d'appel : Dear Minister, / Monsieur le
Ministre,
PRIÈRE D'INTERVENIR IMMÉDIATEMENT. APRÈS LE 1er MAI 2006, VÉRIFIEZ
AUPRÈS DE VOTRE SECTION S'IL FAUT ENCORE INTERVENIR. MERCI.
-----
(((((5)))))
Marée humaine à Los Angeles contre une loi sur l'immigration
Entre 500 000 personnes selon la police et un million selon les
organisateurs ont manifesté samedi à Los Angeles en Californie pour
protester contre un projet de loi de réforme de l'immigration qu'ils
qualifient de "raciste".
http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/monde/0,,3292465,00.html
Créé le 26 mars 2006
Mis à jour le 26 mars 2006 à 17h46
"Je n'ai jamais vu une manifestation de cette ampleur ici depuis des
années". Même le sergent J. Baker de la police de Los Angeles n'en
revient. Entre 500 000 personnes selon la police et un million selon
les organisateurs ont manifesté samedi dans la mégapole californienne
pour protester contre un projet de loi de réforme de l'immigration.
Ces derniers jours, des milliers de personnes dont de nombreux membres
de la communauté hispanique ont manifesté dans plusieurs villes
américaines.
Javier Rodriguez, un porte-parole de la Coalition du 25 mars
organisatrice de la manifestation, a expliqué qu'il s'agissait
d'empêcher l'adoption de l'actuel projet de loi et de réclamer "une
réforme humaine et juste sans caractère raciste". "Nous voulons qu'on
nous respecte. Nous ne voulons pas d'une réforme qui nous
criminalise", a fait valoir Nativo Lopez, président de l'Association
politique mexicano-américaine.
"Amnistie pour tous"
Aux hispaniques sont venus s'ajouter d'autres groupes, des
agriculteurs, des membres d'organisations religieuses, des ouvriers,
des étudiants. Au son des trompettes et dans un climat festif et
tranquille, une marée humaine a inondé les grandes avenues du centre
de cette ville qui compte plus de 9,5 millions d'habitants dont 44,6%
sont d'origine hispanique. Les manifestants, portant des drapeaux des
Etats-Unis et de leurs pays d'origine, se sont approchés de la mairie
dirigée par un hispanique d'origine, Antonio Villaraigosa, en scandant
"amnistie pour tous".
Un quart d'ouvriers agricoles
Le Sénat à Washington doit se saisir la semaine prochaine d'un projet
de loi sur l'immigration, qui divise profondément la majorité
républicaine, entre les tenants d'une politique uniquement répressive
et les partisans d'une légalisation des 11 millions d'immigrés
clandestins. Ce texte prévoit notamment de "sévir contre les
employeurs embauchant des travailleurs clandestins", ainsi que contre
les passeurs et les gangs. Il prévoit aussi d'ériger une clôture sur
de longs secteurs de la frontière avec le Mexique.
Le président George W. Bush a défendu samedi son projet de régulariser
une partie des clandestins travaillant aux Etats-Unis. "L'Amérique est
une nation d'immigrants, mais nous sommes aussi une nation de lois. Et
nos lois sur l'immigration ont besoin d'être réformées", a-t-il
déclaré. Plus de 35 millions d'hispaniques, dont de nombreux
Mexicains, vivent aux Etats-Unis. 24% d'entre eux sont employés dans
l'agriculture, 17% dans les services de nettoyage, 14% sont des
ouvriers, selon l'institut de sondage Pew.
-----
(((((6)))))
Ottawa entreprend l'expulsion des sans-papiers
Mise à jour le mercredi 22 mars 2006, 11 h 05 .
http://radio-canada.ca/regions/Ontario/2006/03/22/004-expulsion-portugais.shtml
Le Congrès national luso-canadien se dit estomaqué par la décision
soudaine du gouvernement fédéral d'expulser un groupe de Portugais
sans-papiers.
Ottawa a décidé d'annuler l'amnistie mise en place pour les
travailleurs sans-papiers.
Le nombre de travailleurs illégaux visés n'a pas été annoncé, mais un
premier groupe de quarante personnes devra quitter le pays dimanche.
Le Congrès national luso-canadien demande à Immigration Canada de
retarder sa décision et de réétudier les dossiers.
Le visa de séjour des familles d'origine portugaise visées par l'ordre
d'expulsion est échu et elles ont épuisé tous leurs recours.
Le Congrès national luso-canadien accuse le gouvernement Harper de
manquer de compassion et accuse l'ancien gouvernement libéral d'avoir
donné de faux espoirs en évoquant l'idée de décréter une amnistie.
La plupart des familles expulsées, dont certaines sont au pays depuis
plus de cinq ans, ne pourront jamais revenir au Canada parce que leurs
membres n'ont aucun diplôme. Ils travaillent actuellement dans la
construction aux côtés de Turcs et d'Ukrainiens.
Le syndicat universel des travailleurs de chantier soutient d'ailleurs
que l'expulsion n'est pas une solution, d'autant plus que le
gouvernement fédéral ne propose rien pour enrayer la pénurie de
main-d'oeuvre qualifiée qui touche le secteur. Tout comme le congrès,
il demande à Ottawa de changer le processus de sélection des
immigrants, parce que le système actuel favorise les diplômés.
L'expulsion de sans-papiers n'est pas nouvelle au Canada, mais elle
tranche avec les déclarations du ministre Monte Solberg, qui soutient
que le travail au noir n'est pas l'une de ses priorités.
Le nombre de Portugais sans-papiers à Toronto oscillerait entre 5000 et 15 000.
Quota d'expulsion?
L'agence des services frontaliers, responsable de l'expulsion des
sans-papiers, nie devoir atteindre certains quotas annuels.
Plusieurs membres de la communauté portugaise croient que cela
pourrait expliquer pourquoi des dizaines de Torontois ont reçu l'ordre
de quitter le pays d'ici dimanche.
Une porte-parole de l'agence fédérale affirme que la politique n'a pas
été modifiée.
Lisbonne
L'histoire fait la une du quotidien Publico de Lisbonne. Dans son
édition de mercredi, le grand quotidien explique que le gouvernement
canadien a durci la loi sur l'immigration et exclut toute amnistie
pour les illégaux. Le journal estime que « la légendaire ouverture au
monde » du Canada s'est restreinte après l'accession au pouvoir du
premier ministre Stephen Harper, en janvier.
-----
(((((7)))))
Le mardi 21 mars 2006
Payer de ses membres pour fuir sa misère
Richard Therrien
Le Soleil
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060321/CPSOLEIL/60321193/5154/CPSOLEIL
Deux pieds. Deux jambes. Deux bras. C'est le prix que doivent payer
des centaines de migrants illégaux chaque année en passant les
frontières, en plus de devoir retourner dans leur pays de misère. Et
on ne parle pas des milliers qui payent de leur vie. C'est bien cher
payé, rien que pour fuir son taudis et accéder à un monde meilleur,
sans y parvenir.
Le destin tragique et poignant de trois survivants de l'immigration
clandestine sera raconté lundi, 21 h, à Télé-Québec, dans le septième
documentaire de la série Extremis, intitulé Partir ou mourir et signé
Raymonde Provencher, chez Macumba International. Une œuvre qui arrache
les larmes, sur l'impossibilité de modifier un destin pourri.
L'un des trois cas explorés vous touchera particulièrement, celui de
Ramon Mercedes, ce jeune débardeur dominicain qui a abouti à
Port-Alfred au Saguenay en 1998, et que ma collègue Monique Giguère
avait retrouvé à Santo Domingo pour une série de reportages dans LE
SOLEIL.
Souffrant d'engelures à son arrivée au Canada à bord d'un navire
panaméen, Ramon avait dû être amputé des deux pieds. Immigration
Canada l'avait renvoyé dans son pays, avant même que ses plaies soient
guéries. Huit ans plus tard, toujours en République dominicaine, il
souffre encore, et n'a évidemment pas les 11 500 $ qu'il faudrait pour
qu'on l'opère.
En regardant cette portion du documentaire, j'ai eu honte d'être
Canadien. Vraiment. S'il avait été un chien, Ramon Mercedes aurait été
reçu avec plus de considération. Au lieu de cela, on l'a caché à
l'Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, sous sédatifs, privé d'avocat. Et son
histoire n'a été mise au jour qu'à la veille de sa déportation. Déjà
qu'on lui avait enlevé les deux pieds, comme si le destin lui disait :
« Tu n'iras nulle part ! »
Réponse d'Immigration Canada : l'histoire remonte huit ans en arrière,
et les dossiers des immigrants illégaux sont détruits après cinq ans.
Ramon Mercedes est loin d'être le seul dans son cas. Vous verrez dans
quelles conditions exécrables des Mexicains tentent de passer la
frontière en train, rêvant d'une vie meilleure aux États-Unis. Sans
argent, ils montent à bord de trains de marchandise en route et
peuvent y passer des jours sans manger et sans dormir.
Comme bien d'autres, la jeune Maria a perdu ses deux jambes en sautant
d'un train en marche pour échapper aux autorités. Personne n'est
descendu pour lui porter secours. Mère de trois enfants, elle a dû
retourner dans son pays. Ils sont des centaines comme elle, souvent
très jeunes. Vous verrez un adolescent de 17 ans à l'hôpital, victime
du même sort.
Raymonde Provencher, qui en a vu d'autres dans ses nombreux périples
dans les pays sous-développés, dit avoir été particulièrement affectée
par le sort de ces gens qui prennent des risques énormes. « Et ça ne
diminuera pas. Je suis formelle là-dessus », pense-t-elle. En tout,
plus de 185 millions de migrants, dont près de la moitié sont des
femmes, fuient leur pays.
Si le sort de Ramon Mercedes vous inquiète, il vous est toujours
possible de vous rendre dans le site de l'émission : www.extremis.tv.
Aucune campagne de souscription n'a encore été organisée, mais
Raymonde Provencher souhaite que la diffusion du documentaire
interpelle la population. Trouver 11 500 $ n'est pas une tâche
impossible.
Le prochain documentaire de Mme Provencher, prévu pour l'année
prochaine à Radio-Canada, RDI et CBC, risque de détruire l'image
parfaite qu'on se fait des Casques bleus, en qui on accorde
généralement toute notre confiance. Chargés d'assurer la paix,
plusieurs d'entre eux pratiqeraient des activités beaucoup moins
louables, paraît-il. À surveiller.
-----
(((((8)))))
Mostafa Dadar combat son expulsion
Mise à jour le dimanche 26 mars 2006, 12 h 39 .
Un résident du Nouveau-Brunswick originaire d'Iran, Mostafa Dadar,
tente d'éviter son expulsion du Canada, prévue dimanche.
Les autorités canadiennes ont décidé de le déporter en Iran en dépit
d'une décision des Nations unies.
http://radio-canada.ca/regions/atlantique/2006/03/26/001-NB-dadar.shtml
Mostafa Dadar affirme qu'il y sera torturé et peut-être même exécuté.
Son avocat Richard Albert demande à l'ONU et au ministre fédéral de
l'Immigration et de la Citoyenneté, Monte Solberg, d'empêcher
l'expulsion. « C'est la première fois que le Canada rejette une
décision des Nations unies à propos de la torture. Et cela est un
précédent très dangereux pour le Canada », estime-t-il.
Me Albert entend de plus continuer les démarches entreprises pour
démontrer que son client a été victime d'une erreur judiciaire.
Le Comité des Nations unies contre la torture a décrété en décembre
dernier que l'expulsion de Mostafa Dadar contreviendrait à la
Convention sur la torture. Dans un arrêt rendu tard vendredi soir, une
juge de la Cour fédérale a toutefois estimé que le gouvernement
n'avait pas à se plier au jugement onusien.
Le ministère fédéral de l'Immigration et de la Citoyenneté invoque le
passé criminel de Mostafa Dadar pour expliquer sa décision.
En plus d'avoir été accusé d'agression physique contre son ex-épouse
et sa fillette au début des années 1990, il a été reconnu coupable
d'avoir battu gravement sa petite amie. Pour ce geste, qu'il n'a
jamais admis avoir commis, il a écopé de 8 ans de prison.
Mostafa Dadar a connu la torture dans les prisons iraniennes dans les
années 80, pour avoir participé à une tentative de coup d'État contre
l'ayatollah Khomeiny.
-----
(((((9)))))
Six Nations
Les autochtones refusent de quitter le chantier
http://radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/regional/modele.asp?page=/regions/Ontario/2006/03/26/001-caledonia_expiration_delai.shtml
Des dizaines de membres de la communauté autochtone des Six Nations
refusent de quitter un chantier de construction résidentiel de
Caledonia, appartenant à la compagnie Henco.
La cour a imposé un délai aux autochtones, qui devaient quitter les
lieux mercredi après-midi. La police n'est toutefois pas intervenue.
Les occupants pourraient avoir à faire face à des accusations
d'outrage au tribunal.
Les protestataires, qui occupent le site depuis depuis le 28 février,
revendiquent des droits sur tout le territoire qui longe la Grande
rivière. Ils affirment que cette terre leur a été volée par le
gouvernement canadien, il y a 200 ans.
« Ce qui arrive ici n'est que le début, un éveil pour notre communauté
», dit Wes Elliott, un occupant du chantier. Ce dernier va même
jusqu'à contester l'autorité du conseil de bande, qui a une approche
plus pacifique du conflit.
De son côté, le conseiller politique du chef des Six Nations, Darrell
Doxtdator, dit être en accord avec la nature des revendications et
comprendre la frustration des gens, mais il n'approuve pas les moyens
qui sont pris. Il croit qu'il faut absolument éviter toute montée de
violence.
Un agent de la police provinciale est posté à 100 mètres du chantier.
Il dit avoir pour mandat d'appliquer l'injonction de la cour et
d'expulser les protestataires. Toutefois, la porte-parole de la
police, Paula Wright, est avare de commentaires sur le moment où sera
entreprise une telle action. La police espère un règlement pacifique
du conflit.Mercredi, quelque 400 manifestants se sont rassemblés sur
le site pour attendre l'expiration du délai de la cour, mais ils
n'étaient plus qu'une cinquantaine sur place en début de soirée.
-----
(((((10)))))
SIX NATIONS BLOODBATH AVERTED THANKS TO POPULAR SUPPORT
Mohawk Nation News
MNN. March 23, 2006. It was a victory for the power of the people!
It was a victory for Indigenous land rights. It was a victory for all
those struggling for recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction. Since
mid-February the Rotinoshon'non:we/Iroquois have been protesting the
construction of a luxury residential subdivision on their land called
"Douglas Estates" near Caledonia Ontario. With the Canadian and
provincial governments intent on ignoring our rights, there were no
options. We had to stop the construction ourselves. Our people
braved freezing rain, snow, sleet and ankle deep mud. Many slept in
tents and cars to keep the barricades manned. Supporters carried in
pots of food and truckloads of firewood. We're in it for the long
haul! We are continuing the fight that our grandparents and
great-grandparents fought and that our children and grandchildren are
prepared to continue if the colonization doesn't stop.
Henco Industries, the developer that is squatting on our land, went to
court and got an injunction. Judge David Marshall of the Ontario
Provincial Court thought he had a fool proof plan to get rid of the
people protesting Ontario's persistent violation of Six Nations
Territory. On March 16 he issued a strange convoluted order. He
announced that at 2:00 on Wednesday, March 22nd, the Ontario
Provincial Police OPP would come in. They would read the order to us.
Anyone who didn't leave immediately would be arrested and taken to
the police station where they would be photographed, fingerprinted and
released. He also ordered that anyone who returned would be charged
and placed on probation for a year. The trouble is he seemed to have
forgotten about due process and the honor of the Crown. He didn't
mention a hearing or a trial. Neither Ontario nor Henco was required
to prove they owned the land in question. This may have something to
do with the report that Judge Marshall and the Crown Prosecutor, Owen
Young, both claim parts of our land themselves.
The people weren't frightened by Marshall's attempt to bully us with
his bogus order. We've seen it all before. Everyone rallied to
support us. By 2:00 on Wednesday hundreds of people had converged at
Douglas Estates. The Women locked arms together on the front line.
It's our duty under our constitution, the Kaianereh'ko:wa/Great Law,
to protect the land for our future generations. We were going to do
our best. We weren't alone. All across Turtle Island from the Dene
of the Northwest Territories, the Western chiefs of Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and Alberta, natives and non-natives alike bombarded
everybody they could with the message: "Stop the OPP bloodbath". It
did not happen because as 2:00 came and went people continued to
arrive to stand with us.
We lead ourselves, which we had every right to do. That's autonomy
and freedom of expression. We found out that we all follow the same
philosophy. We all want to protect the natural world and to live in
peace and harmony together. We all have the same vision, to preserve
our sovereignty in order to protect our land to ensure a future for
our people, as creation intended us to do. We are not Canadians and
not Americans. We have always rejected the genocidal colonial
European vision.
Super Indian Cop, Jim Potts, a self-described expert on us, pulled
himself and his Aboriginal mercenaries out of the protest at the last
minute. He had set up a squad of his own people to attack their
brothers and sisters at Six Nations. He said, "They aren't going to
have any weapons", like we're supposed to believe that the OPP is
unarmed! That's who he said was their back up. If anything happened,
the Aboriginal inductees would take the flack and act as human shields
for the provincial gestapo. Looks like he read Ward Churchill's "A
Little Matter of Genocide" and decided to be Ontario's 'Little
Eichmann'. "We have a court order to do this", he said. That's the
plan that was outlined in his report on "Dealing with Indigenous
Protests and Occupations" that fell into the hands of MNN. It came
from one of its most valued and trusted sources.
The OPP have no jurisdiction on land claimed by the Rotinoshon'non:we
because we never gave any to them in accordance with our
nation-to-nation agreement. The Ontario courts used to recognize that
back in the 1920's before Duncan Campbell Scott deposed the
traditional Rotinoshon'non:we government.
Colonial practices have gotten worse since then. The popular action
on Wednesday has turned the tide, we hope. Maybe Ipperwash made them
think, finally! We will no longer be lead into the ovens by sell-outs
like Jim Potts! When we pull together and assert ourselves, we will
win by standing on our principles. Our path has been blocked for so
long. We removed the 'log' on the road, chopped it up and used it for
firewood. Yes, we are going to find non-destructive ways to get
Turtle Island back. Every time we neglected our responsibility, hard
times came upon us. But our duties and responsibilities were still
there.
We lost our way because there was so much dust on our constitution.
Generations were forbidden to speak our language. They were
interpreting everything through residential school eyes. The
Kaianereh'ko:wa was being used to control the people as if it was
colonial law instead of helping us. The servants of the colonialists
try to make the people serve them. On Wednesday no leaders showed up
because the minds of the "leaders" are the minds of the colonialist.
In the early 1800's there was a Judge Marshall in the United States
Supreme Court whose reasoning is relied on to this day by courts that
are trying to defend Indigenous rights in an honorable way. If
Ontario's Judge David Marshall is a blood descendant, he's certainly
not philosophical kin. This guy believes in "big gun" injunctions.
He can't be bothered with little details like legal proof. He was
determined to charge people even if he didn't know who they were. His
orders were all made out mostly to fictional people called "John and
Jane Doe". He wanted to sentence them without a hearing or a trial.
He threatened them with criminal records, bad credit ratings,
inability to borrow money, border crossing trouble and lots more.
Sounded like he said something like, "We'll even hose you down with
bad water if we have to". But he really wanted to "atomize" us!
Oops! Hey! Isn't that genocide again? He seemed to want to dump
every kind of threat in his quiver to stop us from exercising our
rights and to perfect Henco Industries' theft of our land.
These kinds of things always attract scammers as well as serious
supporters. This time we got one, Pat Holly, who claimed to be the
trustee of Mohawk Nation Grand River and maybe even Mother Earth
itself! He sure didn't look like a clan mother! But this white guy
thought he had a good thing going. He had two native fronts. Maybe
he thought no one would find out he'd been caught selling fake Indian
and Metis status cards in the United States. He served Henco
Industries with Notices of International Claim for $110 million US
through the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas.
He wanted a check made out to Pat Holly, Bill Squires and Thedawahka.
Then the whole issue would go away. This sounds almost as legitimate
as the previous "sales" of Six Nations land. Maybe this guy has an
option on the Brooklyn Bridge too!
People are still at the site. They intend to stay. They invite
supporters to come and stand with them. The injunction is not legal
and is going to be challenged. We have the support of people across
the whole of Turtle Island and beyond. Today even Indian Affairs
Minister Prentice sent a representative to the site to open up a
dialogue. They told him, "Give us your name. We'll call you
sometime". I wonder if he would open up a dialogue if someone came to
squat on his land and tried to kick him off?
Kahentinetha Horn - MNN Mohawk Nation News - kahentinetha2 at yahoo.com -
coming soon www.mnn.mohawknationnews.com
-----
(((((11)))))
Protestors vow to remain on `stolen' Indian land
Ignore court deadline to leave Caledonia site
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1143067812114&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
New York `warriors' join the occupation
Mar. 23, 2006. 01:00 AM
GREGORY BONNELL
CANADIAN PRESS
CALEDONIA, Ont.—Native protestors occupying a construction site near
this town southwest of Hamilton vowed to stand their ground yesterday
as a court-imposed deadline to vacate the proposed subdivision passed
without police intervention.
Six Nations members from a nearby reserve, claiming the land was
stolen from them by the Canadian government some 200 years ago, have
been camped out at the site entrance since Feb. 28.
Yesterday afternoon's deadline passed without immediate police action,
but protestor Janie Jamieson wasn't declaring victory.
"If you go by history, they (police) come in in the evening, not in
broad daylight, but when there's no media, no reporters," said
Jamieson.
"We've been here for 22 days now anyways... So it's just a wait and
see kind of thing."
Last week, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled the occupiers had
until 2 p.m. yesterday to leave before facing contempt of court
charges.
The developer, Henco Industries, had obtained an injunction to remove
the occupiers two weeks earlier from the Douglas Creek Estates, on the
outskirts of Caledonia, which the protestors have refused to obey.
Ontario Provincial Police said police were bound to follow the legal ruling.
"The OPP respects the order of the court," said Const. Paula Wright.
"We're legally bound to obey the court order so we shall undertake our
responsibilities in the safest manner possible. This is a complex
issue and the safety of all those involved is paramount. Our goal is a
peaceful resolution."
About 400 protestors, some clad in camouflage, gathered on the site as
yesterday's deadline came and went, but the numbers had dwindled to
around 50 by early evening.
The protestors had laid out several cords of wood and had a bonfire to
keep warm. A lone police cruiser was stationed down the road from the
protest.
A camper, several tents, and a large shelter marked the entrance to
the planned subdivision where at least 10 homes have already been
either partially or fully built.
Placards reading "this country needs a true history lesson" and "the
acts of terrorism on natives stop now Canada" dotted the site.
A Canadian flag was flown upside down on a makeshift pole.
"It is our territory," said Jamieson. "Just because it has passed
title illegally throughout the years doesn't mean that it isn't ours."
The protest has attracted a dozen native "warriors" from New York
State anxious to protect aboriginal land rights, said one man who
identified himself only as Sahtekaientes.
"There's more coming," said Sahtekaientes, 40, who lives on a U.S.
reserve across from Cornwall, Ont. "We know exactly what your
government is all about. We've been through this before."
Federal officials have said they have no plans to intervene in the occupation.
A government spokeswoman said the development is part of a land claims
suit filed in 1995 that involves continuing negotiations between the
Crown and Six Nations.
Last week, Justice David Marshall told the protestors they could avoid
charges if they leave the site when police come to enforce the court
order.
-----
(((((12)))))
Immigrants Hit the Streets (Trenton, Providence, Milwaukee, Atlanta,
Kansas City, Phoenix, San Franciso)
(Immigration News Briefs is a weekly supplement to Weekly News Update
on the Americas, published by Nicaragua Solidarity Network, 339
Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012; tel 212-674-9499; fax 212-674-9139;
wnu at igc.org. INB is also distributed free via email; contact
nicajg at panix.com for info.)
Between Mar. 20 and 25, tens of thousands of immigrants demonstrated
in cities and towns across the US to protest anti-immigrant
legislation being considered by the Senate and to demand legalization
for out-of-status immigrants [see INB 3/18/06]. On Mar. 20, some 1,200
immigrants and supporters rallied outside the statehouse in Trenton,
New Jersey, to protest a proposal being considered by the US Congress
which would apply tougher enforcement measures against out-of-status
immigrants. Southern New Jersey coordinator Ramon Hernandez said more
than 25 local businesses and farmers helped pay for buses to take
people to the rally. [Home News Tribune Online (East Brunswick)
3/21/06; Press of Atlantic City 3/21/06] On Mar. 22, more than 200
immigrants and supporters marched in Providence, Rhode Island, to the
office of Senator Lincoln Chafee, asking him to support comprehensive
immigration reform. [Eyewitnessnewstv.com (East Providence) 3/22/06]
On Mar. 23, thousands of immigrants and supporters flooded the streets
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in a march for immigrant rights, part of what
was billed as a "A Day Without Latinos." Milwaukee police estimated
the crowd at more than 10,000, but organizers said some 30,000 people
took part. About 90 Latino-owned businesses on Milwaukee's south side
were closed for all or part of the day in support, according to Voces
de la Frontera, which organized the demonstration. Nearly 100 staffers
and teachers skipped work at the Milwaukee Technical College to attend
the rally. About a dozen businesses in the nearby communities of
Racine and Kenosha, south of Milwaukee, also closed, and several
hundred people protested in downtown Racine.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted 11-1 the same morning to condemn
the proposed punitive legislation and call on Congress to approve a
reform bill that would allow immigrants to gain legal status. [Journal
Sentinel Online (Milwaukee) 3/23/06; AP 3/23/06] Rep. James
Sensenbrenner (R-WI), sponsor of anti-immigrant bill HR 4437, which
passed the House last Dec. 16, issued a statement criticizing the
Milwaukee immigrant mobilization, while admitting it was "an
impressive show of force." [Sensenbrenner Statement on Milwaukee Rally
3/23/06]
Latino immigrant communities in the Atlanta, Georgia area took part in
a "Day without Hispanics" civic strike on Mar. 24, a day after the
Georgia House voted 123-51 to approve a state bill that would affect
undocumented immigrants by denying state services, imposing a 5%
surcharge on wire transfers, punishing employers and creating a worker
verification program to be administered by the state Department of
Labor. The legislation must still be approved by the state senate. [AP
3/23/06]
Teodoro Maus, one of the organizers of the protest, estimated that as
many as 80,000 Latinos failed to show up for work. About 200 people
rallied on the steps of the state capitol in Atlanta, some holding
signs reading: "Don't panic, we're Hispanic" and "We have a dream,
too." [Arizona Republic (Phoenix) 3/24/06]
Some 2,000 people rallied in Kansas City, Kansas, on Mar. 24 to
protest the anti-immigrant legislation being considered by the US
Senate. [Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO) 3/24/06]
In Phoenix on Mar. 24, thousands of people marched to the office of
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to demand respect for immigrants. Phoenix police
estimated the crowd at between 15,000 and 20,000 people; organizers
had only expected about 3,000. The march filled a solid mile of 24th
Street, shutting down the street and causing major traffic gridlock.
"I've been involved in protests like this for nearly 10 years, and
I've never seen anything this big," said state representative Kyrsten
Sinema (D-Phoenix). A group of protesters delivered a letter to Kyl's
office. A smaller demonstration took place the same day in Tucson.
[Arizona Republic 3/24/06; East Valley Tribune (Phoenix suburbs)
3/25/06]
On Mar. 21, over 50 hunger strikers representing as many community
organizations began a seven-day protest in front of the federal
building in San Francisco to call for a fair and just immigration
reform. United Farm Workers of America co-founder Dolores Huerta spoke
at a noon press conference kicking off the hunger strike, saying:
"It's time for a new legalization program." Later in the day, nearly
400 community members marched from Dolores Park in the Mission
District to the federal building to support the hunger strikers. The
hunger strike is to end on Mar. 27 with a community march to Sen.
Dianne Feinstein's office. Daily reports from the week of action are
posted on www.immigrantrights.blogspot.com. [Contra Costa Times
3/22/06; "SF Hunger Strike Report: Day 1" 3/22/06]
-----
(((((13)))))
More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' Rights
By Teresa Watanabe and Anna Gorman
Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig26mar26,0,7628611.story?coll=la-home-headlines
2:51 PM PST, March 25, 2006
Joining what some are calling the nation's largest mobilization of
immigrants ever, hundreds of thousands of people boisterously marched
in downtown Los Angeles Saturday to protest federal legislation that
would crack down on undocumented immigrants, penalize those who help
them and build a security wall on the U.S. southern border. Spirited
crowds representing labor, religious groups, civil-rights advocates
and ordinary immigrants stretched over 26 blocks of downtown Los
Angeles from Adams Blvd. along Spring Street and Broadway to City
Hall, tooting kazoos, waving American flags and chanting "Si se
puede!" (Yes we can!). The crowd, estimated by police at more than
500.000, represented one of the largest protest marches in Los Angeles
history, surpassing Vietnam War demonstrations and the 70,000 who
rallied downtown against Proposition 187, a 1994 state initiative that
denied public benefits to undocumented migrants.
The marchers included both longtime residents and the newly arrived,
bound by a desire for a better life and a love for this county.
Arbelica Lazo, 40, illegally immigrated from El Salvador two decades
ago but said she now owns two business and pays $7,000 in taxes
annually.
Jose Alberto Salvador, 33, came here illegally just four months ago to
find work to support the wife and five children he left behind; in his
native Guatemala, he said, what little work he could find paid only
$10 a day. "As much as we need this country, we love this country,"
Salvador said, waving a stick with both the American and Guatemalan
flag. "This country gives us opportunities we don't get at home."
Saturday's rally, spurred by anger over legislation passed by the U.S.
House of Representatives last December, was part of what many say is
an unprecedented effort to organize immigrants and their supporters
across the nation. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is to take up
efforts Monday to complete work on a comprehensive immigration reform
proposal. Unlike the House bill, which beefed up border security and
toughened immigration laws, the Senate committee's version is expected
to include a guest worker program and a path to legalization for the
nation's 10 to 12 million undocumented immigrants.
In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have staged
demonstrations in more than a dozen cities. The Roman Catholic Church
and other religious communities have launched immigrant rights
campaigns, with Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony taking a leading
role in speaking out against the House bill and calling on his priests
to defy its provisions that would make felons of anyone who aided
undocumented immigrants. In addition, several cities, including Los
Angeles, have passed resolutions against the House legislation and
some, such as Maywood, have declared itself a "sanctuary" for
undocumented immigrants.
"There has never been this kind of mobilization in the immigrant
community ever," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "They have kicked the
sleeping giant. It's the beginning of a massive immigrant civil rights
struggle."
One of the marchers Saturday, Jose Alberto Salvador, 33, left his wife
and children behind in Guatemala four months ago to cross the border
into the United States so he could earn enough money to return home
and buy a house.
Jorge Valdovinos, 43, is a legal immigrant from Mexico who has three
US-born children and works as a financial advisor.
Amid a sea of American and Mexican flags, protesters chanted "Si Se
Puede!" and waved banners in Spanish that read, "We aren't criminals"
and "The USA is made by immigrants."
"I love this country as if it were my own, for the opportunities it
has given me," said Laurentino Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from
Mexico who works at a garment factory. "The law is unjust for those
who don't have papers. We come to work. We don't come to do harm to
anyone."
Many of the marchers were immigrants themselves — both legal and
illegal -- from Mexico and Central America. Some had just crossed the
border, while others had been here for decades. There were
construction workers and business owners; families with young children
and people in wheelchairs. Throughout the afternoon, protesters heard
speakers demand a path toward legalization and denounce HR 4437, which
would tighten border enforcement and crack down on employers who hire
undocumented workers.
The rally was organized by numerous unions, religious organizations
and immigrant rights groups and publicized through Spanish-language
media, which encouraged participants to wear white to symbolize peace
and bring American flags. The mostly peaceful march stretched over 26
blocks, shutting down streets and tying up traffic around downtown for
hours. Police estimated the crowd at 500,000, more than five times the
size of the 1994 rally against California's Proposition 187, which
would have denied services to undocumented immigrants. Participants
said the massive mobilization shows that immigrants' voices must be
heard and that they are contributing to the country's economy.
-----
(((((14)))))
Thousands of students in California walk out to protest anti-immigrant bills
(Immigration News Briefs is a weekly supplement to Weekly News Update
on the Americas, published by Nicaragua Solidarity Network, 339
Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012; tel 212-674-9499; fax 212-674-9139;
wnu at igc.org. INB is also distributed free via email; contact
nicajg at panix.com for info.)
In the Los Angeles area on Mar. 24, school district officials
estimated that more than 2,700 students walked out of at least eight
schools to protest anti-immigrant bills being considered by Congress.
[New York Times 3/25/06] At least 500 students started the walkout at
Huntington Park High School; some 300 students then walked to Bell
High and 200 went to South Gate High. Those schools were locked
down--meaning no one can come in or leave-- before the protesters
reached them, said Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
spokesperson Olga Quinones. At Bell, teacher Joan Dooley said hundreds
of students climbed the gates to join the protesters in the streets.
"Those kids had a right to walk out," Dooley said. "When they saw this
huge mob...they should have opened the gate."
Students who were blocked from walking out at Bell, South Gate and San
Fernando high schools protested on campus. Walkouts also took place at
Garfield, Roosevelt and Montebello high schools. In Riverside County,
400 students at two campuses in the Moreno Valley Unified School
District held rallies but did not leave school grounds, officials
said. [Los Angeles Times 3/25/06; AP 3/25/06; 10News.com (San Diego)
3/24/06] Another 1,500 students rallied in Evergreen Park in Boyle
Heights for an hour after
walking out of classes at Garfield, Montebello and Roosevelt high
schools, according to LAUSD official Rafael Escobar. Some 73% of the
877,010 students in the LAUSD this year are Latino. [LAT 3/24/06]
In northern California, about 300 students at Ceres High School near
Modesto--deep in the central valley east of San Francisco-- staged a
protest before school. Administrators allowed the demonstration for
two class periods. "We felt it was valuable for them to experience
democracy in action," said Ceres Unified School District
Superintendent Walt Hanline. "People need to understand this
legislation is creating a lot of fear for people." About 100 students
refused to go to classes after the demonstration and were suspended
for three days. Police cited eight for trespassing after they refused
to go to a gym with the other suspended students. [AP 3/25/06]
Pro-immigrant groups are holding a massive demonstration in downtown
Los Angeles on Mar. 25 to express their opposition to the bill.
[10News.com 3/24/06] The march is being organized by several
organizations, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of
Los Angeles (CHIRLA), as part of a "Weekend of Action" against the
Sensenbrenner bill and related legislation. [LAT 3/24/06, 3/25/06]
-----
(((((15)))))
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel -- March 23, 2006
Slideshow and Audio: "A Day Without Latinos"
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=410241
-----
(((((16)))))
"Didn't cross the border, the border crosssed us!"
"If you think I'm "illegal" because I'm Mexican, learn the true
history, because I'm in my Homeland."
More photos, audio and video at:
Los Angeles Indymedia: http://la.indymedia.org
-----
(((((17)))))
Working in the shadows
Bids for amnesty tied to labour needs
Illegal immigrants fear deportation
Mar. 25, 2006. 10:06 AM
ISABEL TEOTONIO
STAFF REPORTER
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1143240610473&call_pageid=968332188774
Herman wants nothing more than to live without fear of being deported.
Maybe, even, in a home similar to those he has helped build for
Canadians.
But the 20-year-old carpenter from Argentina has been living here
without status since his refugee claim was quashed two years ago.
Now, his hopes of gaining landed status and emerging from an
underground existence to live out his dream with his Canadian-born
wife and children are riding on the success of a spousal sponsorship.
And, he says wistfully, on Ottawa softening its immigration policy.
"I want the government to take care of people like me that make a
difference," says Herman, who has worked in the construction industry
since he was 16. "I'm building houses for Canada but I cannot be here.
It's not fair."
Herman isn't the only one who thinks Canada's immigration policies
need tweaking.
Proposals to "regularize" non-status immigrants have proliferated
recently, including one championed by Liberal MP Mario Silva, who
calls the current deportations of Portuguese construction workers
"callous and immoral."
Instead of propping up an immigration point system that seeks
well-educated and English- or French-speaking people, it should be
revamped to meet the labour needs of certain industries that are
fuelling the entrance of undocumented people into Canada, says Silva.
"My personal view is they need to overhaul the immigration policy
because we're asking for engineers, architects and doctors, but once
they come we don't recognize their degrees and they wait for years in
limbo, many of them driving taxis.
"Meanwhile, we have a growing economy, a booming construction sector,
and we don't have enough skilled people to fill those positions — and
we're deporting them."
Silva's comments followed news this week that many Portuguese families
who have been here for years working in construction will be deported
in coming weeks. It's not clear how many are affected, but sources say
that before April 8 up to 100 Portuguese households in the GTA will
get removal orders.
"Call them whatever you want, but Canada and Toronto have greatly
benefited by their presence," said Silva, whose Davenport riding is
home to many of those families. "They are contributing people in
society and they keep the construction industry going. These aren't
people taking advantage, they're hard-working."
Over the years, calls by some immigrant advocates for a blanket
amnesty have been coolly received. Politicians and legal immigrants
alike argue that creating a window for "queue-jumpers" rewards
dishonesty, undermines the integrity of the immigration system and
opens the door to massive fraud like that experienced by the United
States in a farm-worker amnesty program in 1986.
But proposals by unions, committees and coalitions to "regularize" at
least some of the estimated 200,000 non-status workers toiling in
Canada's underground economy have received warmer reviews. Stopping
short of a full amnesty, these proposals attempt to pry open a door to
landed status for people with needed skills.
Recently, Ottawa seemed to be listening. The Liberal government, with
Silva leading the charge, was on track last year to introduce a
regularization plan.
But that was abandoned after the election.
This week, Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said that while he is
sympathetic to the plight of deportees, any sort of amnesty program is
a "low priority" — an announcement that sent illegal immigrants
ducking further below the radar.
There has been no change to immigration law, and Solberg denies a
crackdown is underway. But deportations are expected to rise since the
Canada Border Services Agency has been given more resources to carry
out removals.
Troubling to some observers is the zeal with which the government goes
after workers but not their employers.
"If they're not willing to rein in the employers, there doesn't seem
much point in reining in
the immigrants," says sociologist Jeffrey Reitz of the University of Toronto.
If the government toughens its stance, illegals will only go deeper
underground, where they are more isolated and prone to exploitation,
says Keith Cooper, spokesman for Universal Workers Union, Local 183.
"We've had so many proposals put together for so many ministers that
it's been extraordinarily frustrating," says Cooper. "This is a
political hot potato that no one wants to deal with."
But this government must deal with it, he insists. It may be a "low
priority" for Solberg, but it's a high priority in cities such as
Toronto, where the booming construction trade is thought to employ
about 15,000 illegals.
Local 183 proposed offering construction labourers a three-year
temporary worker status — after which they and their families could
apply to be landed. To be eligible, they'd have to be in the country
two years, be gainfully employed with no criminal record, and able to
provide an employer's letter stating their skills were needed and no
qualified citizen was available. In case of a sudden industry
downturn, they could still be subject to deportation.
The Labourers' International Union of North America spearheaded a
coalition of Toronto-area unions, construction firms and ethnic
organizations that proposed a similar plan.
Their proposal would give residential construction workers a two-year
work visa if they were healthy, had been employed for a year and had
no criminal record. Spouses would be eligible for an open work permit.
"Allowing them to stay is a win-win situation for everyone," said
Joseph Mancinelli, LIUNA's international vice-president and regional
manager. "We need these workers; they want to stay because they have
family here; and the government wins because they would be paying
taxes."
According to the Ontario Construction Secretariat, the underground
economy costs the country about $1.5 billion a year in lost tax
revenues, a figure that includes both under-the-table work and losses
from illegal workers who pay no income tax.
Silva and the caucus committee he chaired in 2005 drafted a broader
proposal covering workers from all sectors. It would have made a
two-year work permit available to those who had been here at least two
years, were employed, had no criminal record and were active in the
community.
Regularization programs aren't a new idea in Canada. The first was
introduced in 1960, and others were offered in 1972, 1986, 1989 and
1995.
None was a full amnesty — many focused on people from specific
origins, and all had certain criteria for eligibility.
The largest, in 1973, gave legal status to 39,000 people from more
than 150 countries.
While these programs are often viewed by the public as humanitarian
acts by a compassionate government, a study by a team of university
researchers and Toronto community organizations suggests otherwise.
According to The Regularization of Non-Status Immigrants in Canada
1960-2004, past governments that introduced such plans were responding
to labour shortages or political pressure.
But the programs also served as a way of cleaning the slate — clearing
up the status of people caught in the old system — before introducing
new immigration policies that were typically more restrictive and
exclusionary than before.
Nor are temporary-worker programs themselves a panacea.
Plans that rely heavily on the employer to vouch for a worker's
success may leave workers vulnerable to exploitation and the system
open to fraud. Under 1986 immigration reforms in the U.S., the number
of visas issued to undocumented farm workers was triple that of the
number of people thought eligible — some applicants simply paid an
employer to furnish the required letter.
Amnesties may also result in a whole new crop of illegals pouring in
to fill the low-paying jobs the previous group once held, explained
Ryerson University professor Judith Bernhard. An amnesty won't stop
the flow as long as there is a continuous supply of jobs Canadians
won't fill.
"We need people who are willing to work for minimum wage in precarious
conditions — our economy depends on that, which is something that
needs to be addressed," said Bernhard, who has done research on the
lives of non-status people.
"We have a structural problem in that we have a need for these people.
Non-status people are basically subsidizing the economy."
Herman counts himself among that group. He's worked full-time for
years, for wages lower than workers with full status. And when he
isn't framing houses, he's doing all he can to lay low. Fearful of a
run-in with authorities, he never drives. Even at home, he doesn't
dare answer the door to his two-bedroom basement apartment.
"Everybody the government finds is leaving," he says. "I don't like to
go back to my country because my family is here."
-----
(((((18)))))
Planeload of deportees flown to Portugal from Toronto
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Sun. Mar. 26 2006 11:38 PM ET
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060326/deportations_060326/20060326?hub=CTVNewsAt11
There were tears at Pearson International Airport in Toronto as people
said good-bye to friends and loved-ones being deported from Canada on
Sunday.
After more than seven years in Canada, Maria Alves and her son have
been told they must return to Portugal. It is a trip they don't want
to make because they say their roots are in Canada.
"She has no words to explain," Alves son Rafael Belchior translated.
Through tears ,his aunt Laurinda Carrasqueira expressed her feelings
of desperation.
"She said she can't do nothing to help us out," Belchior translated
and then tried to comfort her by saying "don't cry" as they embraced.
Alves and Belchior are among a large group of illegal immigrants
deported on Sunday afternoon.
Many were given only a few days notice to make preparations, pack
their bags, and get rid of possessions they can't take on the flight
to Lisbon.
"It's not fair," family friend Carla Dos Reis said, her voice
trembling. "(They) didn't give her enough time to sell anything. She
had to put everything in my house."
A large number of the group being deported came to Canada over the
last several years to meet the demands of a booming construction
industry, particularly in Toronto.
Industry estimates say approximately 75 per cent of the workers are in
this country illegally.
"If you have bought a new home or a new condo, you know that the
waiting times getting a place just keep on getting longer and longer,"
Pedro Barata of the Portuguese National Congress said Sunday.
"I think that the more we deport people who are needed in the
construction industry, the longer those waits are going to be."
Some estimates hold that 15,000 people are working illegally in
southern Ontario's construction and hospitality industries, and the
Canada-wide figure is 300,000.
Immigration Canada said there will not be an amnesty. The federal
agency said they have a legal duty to remove people who have come to
this country without following the proper procedures.
Many in the group deported Sunday say they will try to return to
Canada and resume the
lives they have built.
"Shame on the Canadian government for deporting people who are working
hard. We need those people here," Barata said.
"We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of people who play
by the rules," Immigration and Citizenship Minister Monte Solberg said
Sunday on CTV's Question Period.
-----
(((((19)))))
Refugee's fate is in court's hands
Last Updated: Mar 24 2006 09:03 AM AST
http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_dadar20060324.html
A Federal Court judge could decide as early as Friday whether an
Iranian refugee who used to live in Saint John will be deported.
"Even if he is a very dangerous man, I don't think Canada can deport
someone where they're going to face torture or execution. Dadar was
charged and convicted of a serious crime. He's done the time for that
crime. - Bill Siksay, MP"
The Canadian government wants to send Mostafa Dadar back to Iran. It
declared him a danger to the public after he was convicted of
aggravated assault, but his lawyer says Dadar faces torture and
execution if he's deported.
Dadar came to Canada in the 1980s as a refugee, and was granted
permanent residency.
He's since spent eight years in jail for assaults against his wife and
girlfriend. The attack against his girlfriend left her permanently
disabled.
Dadar claims he's innocent of those crimes. If the judge finds in
Dadar's favour, Dadar's lawyer Richard Albert said it opens the door
for a review of his status. "At which time we'll be marshalling an
array of evidence for [the judge] to consider," said Albert.
In Iran, Dadar participated in a failed coup. As a result, Albert
said, Dadar's deportation there would be a death sentence. "He'll be
executed, once they believe they have all the information they can
get," said Albert.
Bill Siksay, the NDP's immigration critic, said Canada's record of
human rights will be tarnished if Dadar is deported.
"Even if he is a very dangerous man, I don't think Canada can deport
someone where they're going to face torture or execution," he said.
"Dadar was charged and convicted of a serious crime. He's done the
time for that crime."
The judge said a ruling would come before Sunday, the day Dadar is
scheduled for deportation.
-----
(((((20)))))
Wed 22 Mar 2006
The Windsor Star
Worker's death prompts questions
by Sharon Hill
The United Food and Commercial Workers union is raising questions
about a Mexican worker who died in his sleep at a Leamington
greenhouse earlier this month.
Stan Raper, the union's co-ordinator of agriculture workers, said he
heard the man died of a heart attack but the union is eager to hear
results of toxicology tests that were taken.
The 31-year-old man was found dead in his bed March 11 at the
greenhouse farm where he worked and lived.
Leamington police Const. Kevin O'Neil said an autopsy found no cause
of death. He said blood and other samples were taken and that the
death is not a police matter. There was no foul play and police
responded as they would to other calls where people are found dead at
home.
Raper became concerned this week after hearing that other workers
said the man may have been using pesticides the day before. Raper
said the owner of the farm told him Tuesday no spraying was going on.
The owner was unable to be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The union, which does not represent the workers, has a support centre
for migrant workers in Leamington and has raised concerns about safety
issues for the workers from Mexico and the Caribbean in the past.
Alberto Acosta, the head of the Consular Agency of Mexico in downtown
Leamington, said it is "very sad" but he isn't concerned the man died
of anything other than a heart attack. He said he was called to the
farm and the doctor who did the autopsy told him the man had an
aneurysm in his heart and died of a heart attack.
The coroner couldn't be reached.
Acosta said the worker went with friends into town Friday night and
was found dead in his bed the next morning. Acosta said the man didn't
drink alcohol or do drugs.
The man's body is in Toronto and will be sent back to Mexico to his
family, Acosta said.
Raper said it's frustrating for the union to try to get information
on the man's death, which under the current situation doesn't have to
be reported to the Ministry of Labour.
The ministry is not investigating because it doesn't have that
jurisdiction until the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies to
farms June 30, spokeswoman Belinda Sutton said.
-----
(((((21)))))
Riot by migrant workers halts construction of Dubai skyscraper
Brian Whitaker and agencies
Thursday March 23, 2006
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1737180,00.html
Construction of what is expected to be the world's tallest building
was halted yesterday after 2,500 workers in Dubai rioted over pay and
conditions, causing damage estimated at £500,000.
The trouble broke out on Tuesday night when buses due to take
labourers to a residential camp at the end of their shift were
delayed, witnesses said. Workers from the Burj Dubai tower site and
surrounding housing developments then chased and assaulted security
officers, broke into offices, smashed computers and files, and
destroyed about two dozen cars and construction machines, they added.
"Everyone is angry. No one will work," a labourer, Khalid Farouk, told
the Associated Press. Other workers said they wanted pay rises:
skilled carpenters earn £4.34 a day and labourers £2.84.
Construction workers building a new terminal for Dubai international
airport also downed tools in sympathy yesterday, airport officials
said.
Burj Dubai is intended to be the world's tallest building when it is
completed in 2008. The developers are keeping its eventual height
secret in case competitors try to overtake it. So far 36 storeys have
been built.
In recent years Dubai has been the scene of an extraordinary
construction boom. Most of the work is done by poor Asian migrants who
have been growing increasingly restive amid reports of mistreatment
and exploitation. Last September about 7,000 labourers staged an
unprecedented three-hour demonstration.
Workers' grievances often centre on poor living conditions and
non-payment of wages. According to the UAE labour ministry there were
5,486 complaints about non-payment of wages last year. Some companies
have been accused of retaining and "losing" migrant workers' passports
to stop them returning home.
-----
(((((22)))))
Angry workers halt Dubai project
Low salaries, mistreatment cited for the roughly $1-million in damages
in the city
JIM KRANE
Associated Press
March 23, 2006
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060323.IBDUBAI23/EmailTPStory/TPBusiness
DUBAI -- Asian workers, angered by low salaries and mistreatment,
smashed cars and offices in a riot that interrupted construction
yesterday of what is meant to be the world's tallest skyscraper --
including a luxury hotel run by Giorgio Armani.
The violence, which caused an estimated $1-million (U.S.) in damage,
illustrated the growing unrest among foreign workers who are the
linchpin of Dubai's breathtaking building boom.
Roughly 2,500 workers on the Burj Dubai tower and surrounding housing
developments chased and beat security officers Tuesday night, then
broke into offices where they smashed computers and files, witnesses
said.
They said about two dozen cars and construction machines were wrecked.
When the labourers, who work for the Dubai-based firm Al Naboodah
Laing O'Rourke, returned to the vast construction site yesterday, they
demanded better pay and employment conditions and refused to return to
work. In a sympathy strike, thousands of labourers building a terminal
at Dubai International Airport also laid down their tools.
"Everyone is angry here. No one will work," said Khalid Farouk, 39, a
labourer at Al Naboodah. Others said their leaders were asking for pay
raises: skilled carpenters on the site make $7.60 a day, with
labourers getting $4 a day.
The riot was a rare outbreak of violence, but it was not the first
sign of discontent among the foreigners who form the overwhelming
majority of private sector workers in most oil-rich Gulf countries.
There have been strikes in recent months in Qatar and Oman. In April,
Bangladeshis stormed their own embassy in Kuwait, protesting working
conditions that human rights activists have denounced as "slave-like."
Millions of foreign workers have flooded Gulf nations, outweighing the
population of citizens in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
In Saudi Arabia, foreign workers make up about 21 per cent of the
population of more than 26 million, but labour unrest is rare in the
tightly controlled country.
The foreigners are professionals, like doctors, scientists,
businessmen and oil workers; skilled labourers such as electricians;
or do unskilled jobs in restaurants or homes. Human rights groups have
often decried abuse of low-paid foreign workers by their employers --
particularly of women in domestic labour.
In the Emirates, where some estimates say more than three-quarters of
the population of around five million people are foreigners, migrants
from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and elsewhere have provided
the low-wage muscle behind one of the world's great building booms.
Dubai, one of seven emirates making up the country, hosts roughly
300,000 South Asians working in the construction field alone, helping
propel it from a primitive town of 20,000 five decades ago to a
gridlocked metropolis of 1.5 million -- only 12 per cent of whom are
citizens.
But workers complain their employers often withhold pay. They enjoy
few legal protections and no minimum wage, work in the extreme heat,
and many of them live in military-style desert camps.
Angry workers in the Emirates held more than two dozen strikes over
unpaid salaries last year, mainly in Dubai. The Labour Ministry
responded with a crackdown on companies, helping win back pay and
other benefits for some workers.
The unrest marred what otherwise appears to be smooth construction of
the Burj Dubai, which is to be a spire-shaped, stainless-steel-skinned
tower expected to soar far beyond 100 storeys. A section of the tower
is to host a 172-room luxury hotel operated by Armani, the Italian
fashion designer. The $900-million Burj is slated to be completed by
2008
-----
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