After eight years of seasonal work in Canada, Anthony Garcia wants to become a permanent resident.
Garcia, a father of two, would like to immigrate here with his family. His eldest daughter is now 16 and lives in Mexico’s Hidalgo state.
“This country has opportunities here,” he said. “Mexico has no security, nothing. We walk the night here, no problem. In Mexico, there’s danger.”
On Sunday, Garcia travelled from Ladner with two fellow blueberry-farm workers to join a rally in front of the B.C. legislature to call for a pathway to permanent residency for temporary foreign workers.
The three have a total of more than 45 years’ worth of agricultural experience in Canada. But none of that work history counts towards permanent residency status, since they’re working under temporary foreign worker permits, he said. “We don’t have papers, nothing.”
Byron Cruz, a community organizer with the Migrant Rights Network, said at the rally that there are 1.5 million migrant workers in Canada like Garcia who have precarious immigration status.
“It is shocking to see the situation in the countryside and the farms, how precarious the situation they live in [is],” he said, adding that he’s seen workers in the Okanagan get paid only $4 per hour.
Thousands of people held similar demonstrations in more than 15 Canadian cities on Sunday.
In Victoria, migrant workers, activists and supporters gathered with banners and handmade sign on the legislature lawn, chanting in English, Spanish and Tagalog.
Cruz, a longtime activist and advocate for migrants and refugees, said the pandemic just increased hardships for undocumented workers. “They were all named essential workers … but it meant nothing but more hours to work, no increase in wages, no access to health-care services, social services and no permanent residence.”
The Liberal government has been “exploring ways” to expand permanent residency to temporary foreign workers, international students and undocumented workers, according to a mandate letter to then-immigration minister Sean Fraser from 2021.
But Cruz said the government has been avoiding the discussion in parliament for the past 20 months. “Our focus right now is to put it in the agenda.”
He’s hoping the government takes note. This year, there were even international demonstrations in front of Canadian embassies in Spain and England, he said.
Cruz, who recently moved to Gabriola Island, is now eyeing farm workers on Vancouver Island. “We are just starting our organizing effort.”
