Living in the shadows no more

MIGRANTS' VOICES

Marco Luciano mluciano2@gmail.com

Evangeline Cayanan has recently received her Permanent Residency (PR) status in Canada, which is a significant achievement for her and her daughter. On the morning of Friday, April 6th, Vangie as her friends call her, received a letter from the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) saying that her application for permanent residency on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds was approved.

Evangeline is an undocumented migrant worker who has been facing deportation from Canada along with her six-year-old daughter McKenna Rose. Cayanan’s deportation was originally scheduled for July 8, 2022. However, three days before the scheduled deportation, she was granted a one-year postponement of her deportation as reported by CBC along with another Edmonton family. Cayanan lost her status in 2015 after leaving an abusive employer. While undocumented she gave birth to her daughter McKenna Rose.

Cayanan, like most undocumented migrants in Canada, fall out of status when they were not able to meet the eligibility criteria for existing immigration programs after lawfully entering Canada. They overstayed their authorized period of stay. According to the government website that while there are no accurate figures representing the number or composition of undocumented migrant population in Canada, estimates range between 20,000 and 500,000 persons.

The Migrants’ Rights Network (MRN), a national alliance of grassroots migrant’s advocacy groups has been calling on the federal government to implement a regularization program for all undocumented people in Canada. Such a program would provide a path to permanent residency and citizenship for undocumented migrants. MRN founding member, Migrante Canada’s Chairperson, Danilo De Leon, argues that regularization would improve the living and working conditions of undocumented migrants and would help them contribute to the Canadian economy. De Leon himself is an undocumented migrant worker.

The Canadian immigration system is geared towards temporary and conditional permits, many of which lack a clear pathway to permanent residency and citizenship. This system contributes to the vulnerability of undocumented migrants and makes it difficult for them to access essential services such as healthcare, education, and employment. The lack of status also makes them susceptible to exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers, agents, consultants, and human traffickers.

The news is not only a major milestone for Vangie but also serves as an inspiration to many migrants. The journey to obtaining PR status in Canada is not an easy one, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience. In Migrante Alberta’s new release, the organization says that “Through their diligent efforts, her lawyer, and the community - a remarkable accomplishment that speaks volumes about the expertise and dedication as well as a groundswell of public pressure and community support, Ms. Cayanan was able to overcome the challenges and achieve her dream of making Canada her permanent home.” The organization emphasized that “Ms. Cayanan's cause is a testament to the power of collective action in promoting justice and fairness.”

To address the issue of undocumented migrants in Canada, the government should consider implementing a regularization program that would provide a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship for these individuals. Such a program would not only benefit undocumented migrants but would also contribute to the Canadian economy and society. It is essential to recognize the contributions of undocumented migrants and to provide them with the support and protection they need to thrive in Canada.

Vangie was extremely grateful for the IRCC decision. It will allow her and her daughter McKenna Rose to build a better life in Canada. She also said that “I will continue my advocacy so that the government of Canada will also look into the other 500 thousand undocumented migrants that have a very precarious status”. “My organization Migrante Alberta encourages everyone to stand in solidarity with people like me and fight for a fairer, more compassionate immigration system and to fight the system that put us in this kind of situation,” she added.