Saturday, July 5 5:00 PM
Holland Park, Surrey
King George Highway and 100 Avenue
Next to the King George Skytrain Station
https://www.facebook.com/events/763683193663306/
The Conservative government has passed a controversial bill in the name of strengthening the citizenship which in reality gives absolute power to the immigration minister to revoke citizenship of new Canadians.
Daniel Tseghay of NOII and Mainlander will host a roundtable with:
Performance by Sol Diana!
Tuesday June 17th at 6:30 pm
YWCA Hotel (733 Beatty Street, near Stadium Skytrain)
Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Sḵwx̱wuÌ7mesh, xÊ·məθkwÉ™yÌ“É™m and Selilwitulh nations)
(accessibility info below)
To RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/652709784805601/
Since 2003, the number of Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW’s) in Canada has more than tripled. The push for expansion of the TFW Program has largely come from employers’ organizations and business lobbies. Meanwhile permanent pathways to residency have been drastically impacted – from exclusionary refugee laws to cuts to family sponsorships.
» click here to continue reading
by Harsha Walia
http://themainlander.com/2014/06/02/sanctuary-city-from-below-dismantling-the-city-of-vancouver/
One of the experiences that propelled me into the migrant justice movement occurred thirteen years ago when Bilquis Fatima, a 64-year Pakistani refugee in a wheelchair, was reported to immigration officials during her dialysis treatment at the hospital. She was incarcerated with her son Imran, a minor, for over a month while awaiting deportation.
The very real experiences of thousands of migrants like Bilquis who are afraid of accessing healthcare, who are unable to enroll their children in school, who are denied access to food banks, who are ineligible for a range of social assistance benefits, who are detained by local police forces and turned over to immigration enforcement has underscored the critical and urgent need for Sanctuary City movements.
» click here to continue reading
Sozan Savehilaghi from No One Is Illegal addresses the CBSA declaration of Jose Figueroa’s inadmissibility to Canada and the hardship caused to the family. After over 3 hours, the hearing ended and the judge reserved decision.
Download flyer in English and Punjabi here
100 YEARS AGO the 376 passengers of Komagata Maru were refused entry into British Columbia by Canadian immigration officers. They experienced racism and hostility. Their inability to land caused hardship for the passengers, who soon lacked food and water, were denied access to medical attention, to communication with their family and to proper legal counsel.
As we commemorate this resilient journey and the determination of people, we honour their legacy including descendents who have persevered and established their lives here despite so many barriers. Now, 100 years later, the story of the Komogata Maru is being celebrated as an historical event that occurred at a time when “Our city looked very differentâ€.
For many however, these changes are not evident.
