As the next immigration levels plan approaches, the Migrant Rights Network is calling on the federal government to act on the findings of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Racism by expanding access to permanent residency for migrants in Canada, including undocumented people.
The organization argues that Canada must expand pathways to permanent residency rather than introduce further cuts and caps that leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation, family separation and removal.
Following her September 28th to October 9th visit to Canada, UN Special Rapporteur Ashwini K.P. issued preliminary findings raising significant concerns about racism and discrimination across immigration and refugee policies.
Among the recommendations attributed to her findings was a call for Canada to ensure that “All migrant workers have a clear pathway to permanent residency from the time of their arrival in the country.”
The concerns raised during the visit included several areas of immigration policy.
The Rapporteur heard accounts of “Exploitative, dehumanizing, and unsafe work conditions,” including inadequate food and rest, limited healthcare, serious injuries and deaths, and threats of repatriation. Some workers compared their treatment to plantation systems. She described Canada’s continued reliance on these arrangements as shocking and called for an end to closed work permits and pathways to permanent residency from arrival.
Photographer: Tim Mossholder
She also documented concerns about how South Asian international students are portrayed as responsible for pressures on housing, employment and public services. The findings highlighted racist hostility, workplace exploitation and the fear some students experience over potentially losing their immigration status.
The Rapporteur further raised concerns about unequal treatment of people seeking protection, including Palestinians, people from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Her findings also referenced reports involving two Palestinian sisters who died after being unable to complete Canadian student visa applications because of biometric requirements. She called for an urgent racial equity review of immigration and refugee policies.
International students are among those particularly affected by these concerns. “International students came here to study, work, and build a life. They subsidize post-secondary education, work essential jobs, and contribute billions to the Canadian economy. Now they are being blamed for housing costs and unemployment while facing exploitative living and working conditions without access to protections and uncertainty about whether they can stay,” said WeiChun Kua of Migrant Students United Vancouver.
Kua added, “When politicians turn us into a problem to be reduced, that hostility follows us into our workplaces, classrooms and neighbourhoods. We need leaders to confront racism and ensure permanent status for people who have made their lives here.”
Migrant farm workers face similar concerns. “Imagine growing the food on people’s tables while being denied enough food and rest yourself. Imagine getting hurt and being afraid that speaking up will cost you your job and your right to stay,” said Stacey Gomez of the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia.
“These are the conditions workers described to the UN. All migrants need permanent resident status so they can defend their rights, live with their families, and build their futures here. Canada cannot keep calling their work essential while treating their lives as disposable.”
The debate also extends to Canada’s economic immigration policies. On October 16th, 2026, the federal government announced changes to Express Entry, effective November 3rd, 2026, that will award additional points for eligible Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations.
However, concerns remain about how lower-paid workers in sectors such as caregiving, agriculture, food processing and cleaning will fare under a system that gives additional consideration to high-wage occupations.
Photographer: Tim Mossholder
Manuel Salamanca Cardona of the Immigrant Workers Centre in Quebec said, “The UN is asking Canada to confront racial discrimination in its immigration system. Prioritizing higher-paid occupations risks rewarding the wage inequalities that racism and gender discrimination have already created.”
He added that people caring for older neighbours, harvesting food and cleaning workplaces deserve security and a future in Canada.
The Migrant Rights Network is calling on the federal government to:
- Expand permanent residency: Ensure access for all migrants in Canada, including undocumented people, and reduce prolonged waiting times in existing pathways.
- End tied permits: Abolish closed work permits and protect workers who speak out against exploitation.
- Guarantee equal access to services: Fund healthcare, settlement assistance and public services without discrimination based on immigration status.
- Confront systemic racism: Address discriminatory immigration practices, including unequal access to humanitarian protection and family reunification.
The message is clear: migrants contribute to Canada’s communities and economy, yet many continue to face uncertainty about their rights, safety and future.
The Migrant Rights Network is urging Canada to move beyond acknowledging these concerns and take meaningful action to ensure that dignity, protection and the opportunity to build a life in this country are not determined by immigration status or income.
The UN Special Rapporteur’s findings can be accessed through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): Visit of the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Ms. Ashwini K.P., to Canada, September 28–October 9, 2026: End-of-Visit Statement.
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