Marxist agitators and temporary migrant groups are plotting strikes and protests, including suggesting protests at Premier Doug Ford’s home, to demand permanent residency for those whose legal status in Canada has expired.
The Naujawan Support Network advertised a town hall-style meeting for all immigrants to fight against provincial and federal immigration changes, which they argue will unfairly force many migrants to leave Canada. When True North entered the event, held at the Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Centre in Brampton on Dec. 21, organizers joked about whether attendees had their immigration documents.
A key issue for the group was the estimated more than 2,600 applicants whose nomination applications were cancelled from the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) after the Ford government “returned” applications due to alleged mass fraud among applicants.
After more than three hours of talks from activists, stakeholders and concerned migrants, community members suggested several ways to fight for all migrants, including “undocumented workers,” or illegal migrants. Speakers from several groups, including some explicitly Marxist, called for informational videos, pre-made letters to petition politicians, immigrant worker strikes, and marches to the Ontario legislature.
Katherine Grzejszcak, an executive board member of CUPE Ontario, a public sector union, recommended that protesters instead march directly on Ford’s personal residence. Grzejszcak made a point to claim she was not at the meeting in her official CUPE capacity, but advised the migrants to work alongside unions in order to fight to stay in Canada.
“It has to do with capitalism, and it has to do with imperialism, and working people’s lives are getting a lot more difficult, and so to turn attention away from the wealthy people that are benefiting from that, they’re setting us on each other and wanting us to fight each other,” she said.
“In terms of delivering a petition to Doug Ford. I’m just wondering if there’s been any thought given to going to his house instead of the legislature, where he will likely not be there, or even if he is there, we will likely not be able to go inside…Talking to politicians is important, but the most powerful thing that we can do and build towards is actually a strike of immigrants and a strike of workers.”
One migrant activist, Bikram Kullewalia, who identified himself as a “professional protester,” has fought for several years in Canada for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders whose permits were set to expire. He proposed that the roughly 12 separate organizations in attendance form a coalition called the “United Immigrants Front” to advocate for migrants to stay in Canada. However, one speaker objected to the name, saying it would make Canadians view the group as militant.
Kullewalia, who identified himself with the Naujawan Support Network, said the group should model itself after the “United Farmers’ Front” (SKM) coalition from the Indian farmers’ protest to fight for their “right” to stay in Canada. While the SKM movement saw violent incidents in India, Kullewalia noted these were undertaken by individuals, not the group as a whole.
He added that a coalition of migrants might disagree on the best way to wage a “revolution” in Canada, but the various groups could unite on specific issues, such as overturning the Canadian government’s new immigration rules.
“We know there is no difference between not only Canada and India, but all countries around the globe, because we are living in a capitalist, imperialist society, and we know this system is under crisis,” he said. “That’s why the situation is the same around the globe. These racist people. They are not only on Canadian (soil). We have seen them in front of Sikh people in New Zealand yesterday. They are not different.”
He said Canadians who are against permitless migrants staying in Canada are “the same as back home,” including supporters of the Indian government, or “Modi bugs,” and said they are all “fascist.”
Migrante Ontario, a regional organization with ties to the International Migrants Alliance, opened its remarks with “militant greetings” to the room packed with mostly immigrants and representatives from other activist groups. The group called for united action to stop the Liberal government’s Bill C-12, which gives the federal government the authority to cancel any immigration documents if it is in the “public interest” to do so.
“Canada cannot anymore deny that it is anymore a country of white people. It is a country made up of different cultures, different communities who came together to build this country,” a spokesperson for the group said.
He argued Canada allegedly wages imperialist wars abroad and therefore owes it to the world to welcome unfettered immigration. Another spokesperson for the group vowed the International Migrants Alliance would launch a tribunal to “put Canada on trial for its crimes against the people.”
The group ended their talk with a communist salute and chanted, “Long live international solidarity” and “migrants united will never be defeated.” The majority of the around 100 people in attendance repeated both slogans.
When asked about the strong Marxist presence, event organizer Jaspreet Singh, the regional president for Ontario of the World Sikh Organization, told True North the event was “an open platform.” He said anyone was welcome and invited, and the views of speakers were not necessarily reflective of organizers, attendees and stakeholders.
When asked whether he and the other organizers believed Canada owes migrants citizenship when they arrive on temporary work visas or international study permits, Singh laid the onus on the Liberal government and Canada’s post-secondary schools for advertising work and study permits as a “pathway” to permanent residency and citizenship.
“This was a dream that Canada sells them, and this was the official promotional material that you can find on their website,” he said. “This is what they were selling. This is the official promotional material by the government. So you sell that dream, now fulfill your words. Simple as that.”
Singh also noted that beyond petitioning politicians, immigrant workers could unite and strike, shutting down places such as Tim Hortons or halting services like Uber. He also noted the verbiage in Bill C-12 and the bill would give the federal government undue power to control immigration into Canada, as “the public interest” is ill-defined.