SIKLAB-Canada
Press Release

SIKLAB-CANADA READIES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS ALLIANCE; ENCOURAGES MIGRANTS IN CANADA TO JOIN

11 August 2007

Filipino migrants in Canada are set to bring their fight for their rights to a new level.

SIKLAB-Canada, a national formation representing migrant Filipino workers, is readying for the historic launching of the International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) in December 2007 in Malaysia.

“There is an urgent need to form the IMA,” explains Roderrick Carreon, Chairperson of SIKLAB-Canada, “The issue of migration has become a global phenomenon and the focal point for much intense debate and discussion among academics and politicians on how to administer and manage international migration. It is now also time for those of us organizing around migrant rights to join together internationally to focus on the real lived experience and exploitation of migrant workers, the structures behind global migration, and the impacts of imperialist globalization,” continues Carreon.

There are over half a million Filipinos across Canada, the majority of whom are women who have entered the country as live-in domestic workers under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). SIKLAB is actively campaigning for the scrapping of the LCP calling the immigration program “anti-worker, anti-woman and racist”.

Under the LCP, migrant workers are required to live-in their employers’ home for 24 months, hold only temporary immigration status, and are tied to their employers because of the required employer-specific contracts under the program – conditions, which SIKLAB argues breed exploitation, abuse and oppression of Filipino migrant workers in Canada.

“We know that our community’s migration to Canada as cheap and expendable labour is shared by many other migrant and immigrant communities,” says Glecy Duran, Vice-Chairperson of SIKLAB-Canada, “Because we are here and legislated to perform low-wage and dangerous jobs that no other Canadians will perform, migrants of all nationalities, especially those of colour, share a common experience of exploitation. We need to unite,” adds Duran.

The objectives of the IMA are:
•    To Promote the rights, livelihood and welfare of migrants, refugees and displaced persons all over the world;
•    To Defend the interests of migrants, refugees and displaced persons from attacks of imperialist globalization and its lackeys;
•    To Forge coordinated and joint actions and plans in advancing the rights and well-being of im/migrants and refugees. To intensify campaigns for just wage, job security,  against commodification and against criminalization of undocumented migrants and immigrants. Extend support and cooperation among the members.
•    To Further promote international solidarity and cooperation with progressive and genuine anti-imperialist organizations and alliances.

The IMA was initiated by the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Study Commission on Migrants and Immigrants, and aims to be a broad international formation of progressive and anti-imperialist migrant organizations of various nationalities.

As a convenor of the launching the IMA, SIKLAB-Canada is also inviting other like-minded organizations of migrants and immigrants in Canada to join the significant founding of the IMA.#

For more information, contact SIKLAB-Canada:
SIKLAB-Canada:  Roderrick Carreon, National Chairperson
SIKLAB-Ontario : Yolyn Valenzuela, siklabontario@gmail.com; 416-262-2660
SIKLAB-B.C.: – Glecy Duran,  siklab@kalayaancentre.net; 604-215-1103
SIKLAB-Quebec: Montreal – Wing Yap, siklabquecbec@gmail.com
Migrante International (Philippines) – IMA Convenors/Working Group, migrante2007@yahoo.com.ph