[van-announce] Coderre promoting modern-day slavery

[Philippine Women Centre of B.C.]

Forcing migrants to rural areas is modern-day slavery
20 October 2002
For immediate release

Forcing migrants to rural areas will worsen the modern-day slavery of Third
World migrants and immigrants, maintains the Philippine Women Centre of B.C.
(PWC).

Immigration Minister Coderre is increasingly under heat by the Filipino
community in Canada for his new immigration plans.

More recently, Filipinos in Canada are forewarning against Coderre’s push to
force new migrants and immigrants to rural areas.  Over the past two month’s
Coderre has been heavily promoting the idea of requiring new migrants to
work in rural areas where population growth is virtually stagnant.  As a
means of countering the out-migration of Canadians from rural areas racked
by economic depression, Coderre sees pumping in new immigrants as the answer
to this population problem.  In his plan, new migrants would work on
temporary visas for at least three years in preassigned rural areas in order
to qualify for landed immigrant status.

“Forcing migrants to work in rural areas on temporary visas is akin to
indentured labour,” exclaims Monica Urrutia of PWC, “Why is it that if we
have the proper skills and education and are prepared to contribute to the
Canadian economy, that we cannot live and work where we want,” she
continues.

For twenty years, the PWC has been exposing and opposing the modern-day
slavery of Filipino women under Canada Immigration’s Live-in Caregiver
Program (LCP).  Under the LCP, the women are forced to live and work the
homes of middle- and upper-class Canadian families.  They work as domestic
workers on temporary visas for a minimum of 24 months within a strict 3-year
period.  Many women earn only $2.00/hour for their labour.  While under the
LCP, they are restricted from taking any academic courses nor are they
allowed to work for more than one employer.  Living in modern-day slavery,
the majority of Filipino women barely survive.  Because of the de-skilling
and devastation brought on by the LCP, the women continue to be trapped in
low-paying service sector jobs similar to domestic work even after they
complete the requirements of the program.

“We refuse to allow Minister Coderre to use the LCP as a model to deepen the
exploitation and oppression of new migrants and immigrants,” asserts Cecilia
Diocson of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada, “The LCP has
brought about de-skilling, violence, and poverty on our community.  Any new
immigration scheme that will expand the racist and anti-woman fundamentals
of the LCP will be another attack on our community,” she adds.

With the economic and political crisis in the Philippines continuing to
worsen under globalization, the PWC expects that thousands more skilled
workers will be forced to leave the country and come to Canada to live and
work.  Therefore, the PWC is intent on continuing its efforts to expose and
oppose the LCP and any new immigration schemes aimed at exploiting Third
World migrants and immigrants as cheap labour that would perpetuate the
underdevelopment of the Filipino community in Canada .

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______________________________________________

"Celebrating over a decade of struggle!"
Philippine Women Centre of British Columbia
Phone/Fax: 604.215.1103
www.pwc.bc.tripod.com/
www.kalayaancentre.org



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