RALLY AGAINST THE DEPORTATION OF MIGRANT WOMEN

Wednesday October 27, 2004 at noon 300 West Georgia St.

On October 14, Richmond RCMP executed a search warrant in a residential neighbourhood alleging that the resident was being used as a common bawdy house where women were prostituted. Last week 4 women were detained by CIC as a result of the RCMP raid; no criminal charges have been laid. The women have not been give sufficient information in regards to their rights and community groups have not been able to provide support to these women.

– The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
– The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
– The Convention on the Rights of the Child.
– The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery.
– Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.
– All International Labour Organization Conventions on Forced Labour and equal remuneration for work.

These are just some of the international agreements that Canada has agreed to.

WE DEMAND THAT:
· Canada live up to it’s international obligation and commitment to
protect the human rights of women;
· The women currently detained by CIC on prostitution related matters be released and granted status in Canada;
· All future CIC action involving trafficked women should be addressed in accordance with the above agreements and any future police action should not affect citizenship rights;
· Canada sign the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, and
· Canada implements the T-Visa (temporary-visa) to help vulnerable women stay in Canada.

Sex Workers Action Network
Direct Action Against Refugee Exploitation
No One is Illegal
Vancouver Status of Women
Canadian National Coalition of Experiential Women