Harper government targets Filipino caregivers in Manila: Karygiannis

Harper government targets Filipino caregivers in Manila: Karygiannis

OTTAWA–The Honourable Jim Karygiannis, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt, has criticized the Harper Conservatives for slashing, almost in half, the number of Filipino caregivers allowed to immigrate to Canada.

“According to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, the rejection rate for caregivers at the Canadian visa office in Manila rose from 35% to 66% from 2006 to 2008.” said Mr. Karygiannis. “The statistics show that 66% or 2,240 of the 3,400 Filipino caregivers who applied to come to Canada from Manila last year were refused visas.”

The Philippine Canadian community and stakeholders are alarmed by this trend. In two recent meetings, they told Mr. Karygiannis that there is a strong demand for these workers in Canada. The caregivers look after children, seniors, the disabled or those with special needs. Many Philippine caregivers travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore to apply to come to work in Canada.

“This is another example of the Harper government not caring about the most vulnerable in our society.” Mr. Karygiannis commented.

Mr. Karygiannis is a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Last week, he asked the Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration why, if things haven’t changed in Manila, the refusal rate had doubled in the last two years. He was told that the role of caregivers has changed over the last few years. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration is concerned about the validity of the qualifications caregivers present when applying to immigrate to Canada.

“Historically, the caregivers from the Philippines have been well-trained and professional.” Karygiannis further commented. Canadians are having greater difficulty getting the help they need to care for their loved ones.”

(PRESS RELEASE)