International Migrants Day - Demonstration and more!

December 18 is International Migrants Day , a powerful moment to unite and take action against exploitation and scapegoating. Migrants are not just workers – we are human beings who care for and build the communities around us. Yet, we are treated as disposable, denied rights and blamed for crises we did not create. It’s time to show everyone that nothing moves without migrants! This year, International Migrants Alliance - Canada is calling for “A Day Without Migrants.” Migrant organizations, migrants and allies across the country are taking action to show that nothing moves without migrants! Be part of the movement!
 
Vancouver : 6 PM in New Westminster (Register via WhatsApp for location: 604-874-0649)
 
 
Migrants and Allies: Take a Selfie: Before and on December 18, 2024 - take action by recording a video or taking a photo with your co-workers or on your own:
 
* Migrants: Wear black and hold a placard or sign that finishes the sentence: “Without me...” * Example: “Without me, you wouldn’t eat peaches.”
 
* Example: “Without me, you wouldn’t get food delivered.”
 
* If you're not a migrant: Write: “Without migrants...”
 
* You don’t have to show your face.
 
 
* Send your photo or video to [ mailto:imacanada@mail.com | imacanada@mail.com ] t o be posted on social media. Migrants are the backbone of Canada
 
Politicians, right-wing online disinformation trolls and the mainstream media have been blaming migrants for the high rent and low wages. New laws means that 2.3 million migrants will be forced to leave Canada in the next two years, and those that remain will face even greater abuse and precarity. We are being told that reducing migrants will free up housing and jobs and reduce the affordability crisis. That’s just not true!
 
* International students contribute over $31 billion annually to economic growth , more than Canada’s auto parts or lumber exports, supporting over 200,000 jobs. * Migrants fill critical roles in healthcare, agriculture, and technology , forming the backbone of many sectors.
 
* Migrant and undocumented people pay almost all the taxes, contributing to government revenues, employment insurance, and pensions but are often barred from claiming any benefits. We are not using up resources, we are underwriting public services.
 
* A recent RBC bank report has warned that recently announced cuts to immigration will result in $50 billion less federal revenue over the next five years.
 
Reducing migrant numbers doesn’t “fix” housing, healthcare, or affordability crises—it worsens them.
 
Migrants contribute to more than just the economy. We care for families, create art, heal, nurture, and protect our communities. We are human beings, not disposable commodities. Nothing Moves Without Migrants!
 
Whether you strike, rally, or take a selfie, take action to send a clear message: Migrants are not disposable commodities . Together, we demand permanent resident status for all, fair treatment, jobs with dignity, and a world where people are neither exported from the Global South nor scapegoated in the North to distract from the failures of an economic system that exploits workers and drives immense wealth inequality.
 
Help build the Day Without Migrants. Forward this email to your friends, co-workers and family members.
 
In solidarity, Migrant Rights Network.
 
Date: 
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 18:00