Scrapping, reducing landing tax, just election gimmick? – SIKLAB

Scrapping, reducing landing tax, just election gimmick? – SIKLAB

While a national organization of Filipino migrant workers welcomes the recent announcements by Liberal and Conservative party leaders that they would scrap or reduce the $975 Right of Landing Fee or head tax for new immigrants, they also challenge the parties that these not become empty promises after the election.

Since 2001, SIKLAB (whose name means, “Flameburst” in Tagalog and whose acronym stands for Uphold and Advance the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers) has been campaigning for the scrapping of the $975 Right of Landing Fee or head tax for new immigrants, particularly those who come to Canada under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).

“The $975 head tax exposes how historically, Canadian immigration is far from being humanitarian,” says Glecy Duran, national vice chairperson of SIKLAB – Canada. “Immigration is essentially a cash cow for the Canadian government without regard to the human rights of new immigrants, migrant and temporary workers,” she adds.

The head tax was originally introduced by the Liberal government in 1995 to help pay for the cost of immigrants’ settlement and integration and as a deficit-reducing measure. Critics call the tax racist and say the money generated was never directed to the services it was meant to fund. The money instead went into the government’s general fund. As a major source of income, the fee is expected to generate $210 million every year for the government.

Since the late 1980s, almost 100,000 Filipino live-in caregivers have come to Canada. Most live and work in their employers’ homes in Canada for three years before being qualified to apply for permanent residency. Many experience all kinds of abuse. Under the LCP they are not allowed to avail of immigration settlement services.

Barely netting $800 a month, many live-in caregivers find it nearly impossible to save to pay for permanent residency. Many are forced to borrow money from unscrupulous loan sharks. Others who cannot afford to pay the fees are forced to return to the Philippines. A family of five will pay nearly $4000 in immigration fees to the Canadian government.

Besides the $975 Right of Landing Fee charged for each adult, a non-refundable processing fee of $550 for each adult and $150 for each child is also charged by CIC.

Refugees were exempted from the head tax in 2000.

SIKLAB also questions the placement of government’s settlement and integration funds, since little is directed towards marginalized communities such as Filipinos who are the third largest visible minority group in Canada.

“CIC officers often refer those with questions to us since we are listed in their LCP book of reference numbers, yet we receive no government funding for settlement services,” says Duran. “CIC continues to off-load their backlog and services to marginalized communities like us who need settlement services the most,” she adds.

SIKLAB – Canada will also lead a national day protest on January 13, 2006 to call for an end to the unjust deportation of Filipino live-in caregivers who cannot complete the required 24 months or live-in work within three years. Rallies and vigils will take place in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Members of SIKLAB – Ontario will present copies of the signed petition to the constituency office of Immigration Minister Joe Volpe in Toronto.

For more information, please contact: Glecy Duran at 604-215-1103 or e-mail siklab@kalayaancentre.net

(PRESS RELEASE)