Canada’s Live-In Caregivers: Why are ‘modern-day heroes’ being deported?

Canada’s Live-In Caregivers: Why are ‘modern-day heroes’ being deported?

Last year speaking at a Philippine Independence Day Council gala night in Toronto, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Joe Volpe said that the Filipino caregivers are the backbone and modern-day heroes of Canadian society.

Unfortunately, when these “modern-day heroes” call for help to stem the tide of systemic abuse committed against them by their employers, none are given to them. Research and focus groups conducted by CASJ and the National Organization of Filipino Migrant Workers reveal that caregivers continue to be exploited, abused, assaulted, raped and in many cases fired from their employment when they get sick or pregnant. Worse, they are unjustly deported.

The Philippine government doesn’t help them either. All that the Philippine government wants is the overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) remittances reaching some $10.3B US in the fiscal year 2005 that help keep the Philippine economy afloat.

The Canadian government continues to wash its hands when confronted with data and statistics, documented case studies and valid complaints about rampant abuse, exploitation by their employers and the Canadian government’s lack of legal, medical, housing and educational support for participants of the live-in caregiver program (LCP).

The Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) is of the position that the Canadian government should own up to their pronouncements and start taking care of these “modern-day heroes” and treat them with due respect and dignity as human beings.

We are of the view that the systemic context of abuse suffered by the LCP participants and their vulnerability will remain intact as long as caregivers are required to fulfill the two-year live-in requirements in the home of their employers where most of the abuses and exploitation occur. It will continue as long as caregivers are not given full recognition as immigrants. It will go on as long as caregivers are bureaucratically tied down by the LCP program on an employer specific work permit.
It is time for the Canadian government to stop giving lip service and take adequate, resolute and compelling actions and adopt policies that would address the issues brought forward by Filipino community organizations and alliances like Siklab, CASJ, National Alliance for Migrant Workers in Canada and the Philippine Women’s Centre of Ontario.

There are legitimate and valid reasons why Filipino live-in caregiver participants are unable to complete the 24 months of mandatory live-in work. Some cannot work because of illness or pregnancy; while others are dismissed without notice because the children of their employer no longer need care, an elderly person dies or the employer themselves are without work. The unjust and callous deportation of Filipino caregivers is viewed by CASJ as a violation of their human rights as migrant workers in Canada.

We stand in solidarity with our overseas Filipino community in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in denouncing the deportation of Filipino domestic workers. And we join the National Organization of Filipino Migrant Workers in this National Day of Protest, January 13, 2006 in urging the Canadian government to stop the ongoing and increasing number of unjust deportations being served by CIC against Filipino live-in domestic workers.

(Speech delivered at a rally in front of the 500 Avenue Road re-election campaign office of CIC Minister Joe Volpe in Toronto January 13, 2006)

Edwin Mercurio 416-709-7884. E-mail address: edmercurio@yahoo.ca