OPEN LETTER: Vaccines for All
OPEN LETTER: Vaccines for All
Migrant and undocumented people are at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis. We are often working in essential jobs that sustain our communities but have been excluded from services and protections. Some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections are for migrants in congregate living and working conditions, like farms, factories, and warehouses, and those who are homeless or incarcerated.
But at the same time, many migrants in Canada don’t have a health card or coverage. Those who are undocumented are afraid of accessing healthcare in case their personal information is shared with federal immigration enforcement. In some cases, employers have already started to threaten migrants with job loss and deportation if they aren’t vaccinated.
We call on federal and provincial governments to ensure full access to the COVID-19 vaccine to all migrants regardless of immigration status. Vaccine provision must:
• Be free of charge;
• Not require a health card or health card number;
• Be accessible;
• Not collect any ID or addresses, or information about immigration status, and develop alternative mechanisms for tracking vaccine doses. Health authorities must guarantee that any personal information that is collected will not be shared with immigration enforcement or police; and
• Not be coercive or mandatory.
A comprehensive multi-lingual public education and outreach strategy, as well as training for healthcare providers, should be created. Relevant authorities must coordinate with and take leadership from migrant-led organizations to ensure that migrants can receive the COVID vaccine and testing in a safe, accessible and dignified manner, no matter where they work or live, and without fear of punitive consequences.
All migrants must have access to universal healthcare immediately, regardless of immigration status. In order to guarantee safe and healthy communities, an end to detentions and deportations, and full and permanent immigration status for all, is essential.
Signatories:
350 Canada | ACORN Canada | Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights | African women Acting | Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC | AIDS ACTION NOW! | AIDS Committee of Ottawa | Alberta Caregivers Association | Alliance for Healthier Communities | Antler River Watershed Region Social and Ecological Justice Network | Asian Heritage society of NB | Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers | Association of Mexicans in Calgary (AMexCal) | Bathurst Street United Church | BCGEU | Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network) | Calgary Anti-Racist Action | Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform | Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment | Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives | Canadian Council for Refugees | Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés | Canadian Doctors for Medicare | Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE) | Canadian Health Coalition | Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) | Canadian Women’s Foundation / Fondation canadienne des femmes | Capilano Medical Centre | Careworker Connections Education & Support Organization | Caring for social justice-Soignons la justice sociale | Carranza LLP | Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrant-e-s | Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity | Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) | Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation | Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic | Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter | Citizens for Public Justice | Climate Justice Montreal / Justice Climatique Montréal | Climate Justice Ottawa | Climate Justice Ottawa | ClimateFast | Clinique juridique communautaire de Niagara/ Niagara Community Legal Clinic | Coalition Against Bigotry- Pacific | Coalition Against Bigotry- Pacific | Coalition Against Trans Antagonism | Collaborative Network to End Exploitation | Collectif Ensemble avec les personnes migrantes contre le racisme | Community Action Initiative | Community Legal Clinic – Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk | Cooper Institute | Council of Canadians London Chapter | Council of Canadians, Les Conseil Des Canadiens | Council of Canadians, Peterborough and Kawarthas chapter | CPT- Ontario | CUPE 1281 | CUPE 2626 | CUPE 3261 | CUPE Local 1230 | CUPE Local 3907 | CUPE MB | CUPE Ontario | CUPE, Local 3902 | Davenport Mutual Aid Network | Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre | Dignidad Migrante Society | Disability Justice Network of Ontario | Durham Region Labour Council | Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter | Exeko | FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE | Fight for $15 and Fairness | GateWay Community Church | Graduate Student Society | Greenpeace Canada | Guelph Community Acupuncture | Hamilton Community Legal Clinic | Hamilton Community Legal Clinic/Clinique juridique communautaire de Hamilton | Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team (HamSMaRT) | Health Network for Uninsured Clients | Health Providers Against Poverty | Healthcare For All MB | HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario | HIV Legal Network/Réseau juridique VIH | HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health | Hospital Employees’ Union | Indigenous Climate Action | Institut universitaire SHERPA | Inter Pares | Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development | ISLAMIC SOCIAL SERVICES ASSCIATION | Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan | KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenicall Justice Initiatives | Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income | Le Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste | Leadnow | Loretto Sisters | IBVM Canada | Loretto Sisters Canada | MADE IN EXILE | Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations | Manitoba Federation of Labour | MFL Occupational Health Centre | Migrant Worker Solidarity Network | Migrante Alberta | Migrante BC | Migrante Canada | Migrante Ontario | Migrante-Ottawa | Migrants Resource Centre Canada | MiningWatch Canada | Moonfruits | Nadjla Banaei | National Farmers Union | National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) | Niagara Migrant Workers Interest Group | Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association | Niagara workers welcome | No One Is Illegal – Fredericton | No one is illegal – Halifax/Kjipuktuk | No One Is Illegal Toronto | North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services | OHIP for All | Ontario Coalition Against Poverty | Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association | Ontario Federation of Labour | Ontario Humanist Society | Our Time Vancouver | Oxfam Canada | PACE Society | Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre | Parksville Qualicum Kairos | PEI Action Team for MIgrant Worker Rights | PIaMP | PINAY | Planned Parenthood NL Sexual Health Centre | QPIRG Concordia | Racial Advocacy for Inclusion Solidarity and Equity | Radical Access Mapping Project | Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture (RAMA) | Red de Apoyo para Migrantes Agricolas | RadLaw | Refugee Health Coalition | Rencontre Interculturelle des Familles de l’Estrie | Romero House | SAISIA | Sanctuary Health | SeedChange | SEIU Local 2 | Showing up for Racial Justice – Toronto | Sidetracks Screenprinting Collective | Sierra Club BC | Single Mothers Alliance BC | Single Mothers’ Alliance BC | Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care | Socialist Action | South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario | South Asian Women’s Rights Organization | South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre | South Riverdale Community Health Center | Southridge Community Church | Spring Socialist Network | St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Humber Heights | Stella, l’amie de Maimie | Sudbury Community Legal Clinic | Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre | The Leap | The Obstetric Justice Project | The Socialist Project | The United Church of Canada | Toronto & York Region Labour Council | Toronto Local, C.U.P.W | Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project | UFCW Local 832 | Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights | Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR) | Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter | Vivimos Juntxs Comemos Juntxs | Vivimos Juntxs, Comemos Juntxs | Warehouse Workers Centre | West Coast LEAF | Wilderness Committee | Women Educating in Self Defense Training | Women’s Network PEI | Workers’ Action Centre | Working Women Community Centre | Yukon Federation of Labour | YWCA Canada
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