Mr. Speaker, I have previously spoken in the House about the need to address the pressing issue of violence against women. Today, I am raising the particular issue of violence against immigrant women.
Systemic issues of gender inequality mean that immigrant women are frequently forced to relinquish their status in Canada, in order to escape domestically abusive relationships or abusive employers. These particular victims of violence are often slipping through the cracks of our immigration system because they are ineligible for refugee status or for consideration on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Women in this situation rarely see their abusers brought to justice because they are removed from Canada before their cases can be resolved.
As we prepare to debate the motion brought my colleague from Churchill to establish a coordinated national action plan to address violence against women, I call upon the government to examine the precarious situation of immigrant women who are victims of violence and who often have no recourse due to the loss of their immigration status.