Evidence of meeting #106 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was subamendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I call this meeting to order.
We are meeting in public now.
Before I go to Madam Zahid, I have a special announcement to make.
Mr. Steven Barrett yesterday completed 20 years of service. I want committee members to join me and congratulate Mr. Barrett for 20 years of service.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I would like to move my motion, which was put on notice on Wednesday, May 8, 2024:
As the Home Child Care Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot Programs will expire on June 17, 2024, and the caregiver community is very concerned about what will follow the expiry of these programs, that the committee shall prioritize the caregiver study adopted December 12, 2023, scheduling and completing this study as its next order of business.
Liberal
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
We are indeed talking about the letter on Afghanistan, right?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Because we have now moved into public, this is a new meeting, so I have a list of speakers.
They are Madam Zahid and then Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, Mr. McLean, Mr. Chiang, Mr. Redekopp, Mr. Ali and Madam Kwan.
Madam Zahid has the floor.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
I would really like to get the study started on the caregivers. As we all know, in Canada we have one-million strong Canadians of Filipino origin, who have called Canada their home. These two pilot projects were launched in 2019 and are coming to an end on June 17, although the minister has announced another two pilot projects. It is really very important that we do this study, listen to the witnesses and make sure we provide the government with important recommendations for these two programs.
Today is a very special day for Canadians of Filipino origin—June 12. I was just part of the Filipino flag-raising, where Canadians of Filipino origin from coast to coast to coast were here as we raised the flag.
Canadians of Filipino origin have made important contributions to this country. Today, we celebrated the 126th anniversary of the Philippines, as well as 75 years of the diplomatic relationships between Canada and the Philippines.
This month, June, is also Filipino Heritage Month. I brought forward motion 155, which declared June as Filipino Heritage Month, and I know it is really very important for all members here in this committee, because that motion 155 received unanimous consent on October 30, 2018. Since then we have been celebrating June as Filipino Heritage Month.
Filipinos have made important contributions in making these two programs part of their program. Many parents can go out to work, because they have caregivers to look after their young kids. We can leave our parents at home and go to work without worrying about them, because we have caregivers there to look after our elderly parents and grandparents.
This is based on all that the caregivers have contributed to our economy, which has allowed many Canadians to contribute to the economy by being able to go out to work, just because they have caregivers taking care of their young kids or elderly parents and grandparents. I think it is very important that we have a permanent program for both of these streams—the caregivers who take care of our young kids as well as the caregivers who take care of our elderly parents and grandparents.
We have been delaying a program for a very long time. When we announced the two pilot projects back in 2019, because of this changeover there have been lots of caregivers who have lost status. I hope my colleagues will agree with me, because I know that for Canadians of Filipino origin, the caregiver community is really very important.
I have been travelling from coast to coast to coast to listen to the Filipino community. MP Redekopp and I have been to Saskatoon. Saskatchewan is home to a very vibrant Filipino community. We were together at one of the festivals in August 2022. We heard from many people there about how important these programs are and how important they are for the Filipino community. It's a one-million strong community.
I really request this of all members. I think many people are listening to us and seeing us right now. On this very special day today, June 12, the day of independence of the Philippines, I think there would not be a better day to decide on doing this important study.
I have represented the Scarborough Centre riding since 2015. I represent a very vibrant Filipino community. Close to 18,000 Filipinos have called Scarborough Centre their home.
The stories I hear at my constituency office, at times, make me feel so bad. I hear from caregivers about how they had to leave their loved ones, their young kids and spouses back home, to come here to look after our kids, parents and grandparents. I hear from many caregivers who lost status and are not able to work. So many caregivers are vulnerable at the hands of their employers. I am thankful to our minister for these two pilot projects, which were announced back in 2019, that allowed them to bring their immediate family members along with them and not have to leave them. Imagine, if we put ourselves in their shoes, having to leave our loved ones, our children, back home, and come to Canada to look after someone else's loved ones—children, parents and grandparents—how would we feel without our families? I think family reunification is really very important.
There are a lot of aspects as to why we need to do this study. We need to listen to the witnesses from the caregiver community so that we can make some important recommendations to the government and so that we can land on some permanent programs. I know Minister Miller announced new enhanced caregiver pilot programs, building on the success of the home child care provider and home support worker pilots. The new pilots will allow caregivers to continue to come to Canada as we work towards making the caregiver pilot program permanent. As well, these new pilot programs will provide caregivers with permanent residency upon their arrival in Canada, allowing them to have a clear and straightforward path to permanent status. Not only that, but this will make it easier for caregivers to find proper work with reliable employers.
In addition, after hearing from stakeholders, advocacy groups and caregivers themselves, we are lowering the language requirements—the Canadian language benchmark—from CLB 5 to CLB 4 because many caregivers were not able to get their permanent residency because they were not able to meet the language requirement. We heard a lot, in the last many years, about the issue of the language requirement, so I am glad that, through these pilot programs, candidates interested in working in Canada's home care sector will be eligible to apply if they meet the criteria like the new language requirements, the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma, recent and relevant work experience, and an offer for a full-time home job.
Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families. As such, we owe it to them to ensure our programs reflect their invaluable contributions. These measures provide a more stable and secure pathway for caregivers from abroad as they arrive in Canada. It's really very important to note that there have been new developments to this study, but it is also important that we examine it. We need to listen to the caregivers and their testimonies in order to make recommendations so that the government can bring some permanent programs. The uncertainty of pilot programs causes anxiety among so many caregivers. Since 2019, when we announced these two programs, as they were pilots, I have heard at my constituency office, as well as from many other communities across Canada, “What will happen once these programs expire?” I think the caregiver community is looking forward to our hearing them and making sure we have some permanent programs so that there is stability. Once they know these are permanent programs and they are able to serve here as caregivers in a better situation, they won't have on their mind, “What will happen when these programs expire, as they are just pilot projects?”
I represent a very vibrant Filipino community and its members have contributed in all sectors of the Canadian economy. I have amazing restaurants like FV Foods, where people come from across the GTA to enjoy the Filipino culture and cuisine. I also have many other restaurants and small businesses.
In all walks of life, Canadians of Filipino origin are contributing, and it is important that our support is there for the caregiver sector. Imagine how many Canadians would not be able to work if we did not have caregivers looking after their young kids.
My request is that we really look into it and, as the motion of MP Ali is already here, we prioritize this because it's important that we show the Filipino community and we show the caregivers that we care about them. We are not taking them for granted. Based on these recommendations and the importance of having these, it's very important that this is scheduled ASAP. Schedule these meetings and start listening to the caregivers. I can tell you that all these stories I have heard in my constituency office and across Canada need to be heard by all committee members.
I'm glad that the minister has announced these programs, but based on the need, it's very important that we have a long-term plan and a long-term program for the caregiver community. There cannot be a better month than June to start this study ASAP. My request is that we start that study.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Are you finished speaking, Madam Zahid?
I don't want to get into trouble.
Mr. McLean, I have to make sure—
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I want to raise a point of order while my colleague takes a moment to determine what she wanted to say.
I just want to have my dear colleague note that, since this motion is very important to her, maybe we should move on to a vote right away. Otherwise, we will run out of time, and the people she wants to defend may get the impression they’ve been used for filibustering and partisanship. I know how important this motion is to her. If she continues speaking, we will unfortunately run out of time and be unable to move on to the vote on her motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, that's not a point of order.
I will give the floor back to Madam Zahid.
Madam Zahid, please continue.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
According to the minister, “As we work to implement a permanent caregivers program, these two pilots will help not only improve support for caregivers, but also provide families with the quality care they deserve.”
The government says that eligible caregivers will be able to work for organizations that provide temporary or part-time care for individuals, such as those receiving care while recovering from injury or illness.
We all saw that “in Toronto on Monday afternoon, [the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship] said the pilots could launch as soon as this fall. These updated programs replace two other pilot programs that the minister said brought thousands of caregivers to Canada, but which are slated to wrap up” on June 17, 2024.
The minister said, “While these pilots have attracted many qualified individuals and their families in Canada and helped provide in-home care, the need for caregivers continues”.
This indicates that “the government has been talking to caregivers and stakeholders to look at ways of improving the support these programs provide for newcomers.”
Minister Miller “said that with Canada's aging demographics, there is an increasing need for caregivers to support people.”
In my riding, I have seven long-term care units and the majority of the people who are PSWs or caregivers taking care of those elderly people in long-term care are Filipinos. Their contributions are really great. We saw during the pandemic all the issues we faced in long-term care. Canadians were really worried about their parents and grandparents who were living in long-term care. Who was taking care of them when we had issues? It was the caregivers, with many of them coming from the Filipino community. We really owe them a lot.
As Minister Miller also recognized while announcing these pilot projects, we have an aging population in Canada. He said, “This is something that is an increasing reality, not a decreasing one.”
“He noted many of the caregivers who come to Canada to take this work on are women, some of whom are being separated from their own families when moving abroad to take care of others.”
I have heard stories that make all of us cry. We hear from the caregivers that they have not been able to see their young kids for four or five years. These stories are there and it is really important that we give priority to that.
I know this motion, which my colleague and good friend, MP Ali, moved and was adopted by this committee on December 12, 2023, has been delayed for all of this session because other things have been coming up. I know we have done important work in the committee, but it is really very important that we do not delay this study for a very long time.
The five-year pilot projects that were first launched in 2019 and were aimed at bringing foreign caregivers into the country to care for children, seniors and people with disabilities are being replaced, are expiring on June 17. “The new pilots, which the government says are a move toward establishing a permanent caregiver program in Canada, address some long-held concerns that critics of the country's approach to foreign caregivers have spent years highlighting.”
Amanda Aziz, an immigration and refugee lawyer with the Migrant Workers Centre in Vancouver, said, “People have been working for decades on the demand to ensure that migrant workers arrive with permanent resident status to Canada”.
This is, for the most part, because caregivers and care workers are faced with such abuse and exploitation in the context of their employment.
In Canada, we have tried different caregiver programs. At times we have seen that it should be associated with a particular employer, not open. We saw how much abuse the caregivers had to face when their work permits were tied to their employers.
We have been trying different programs for years and have not been able to land on a permanent program in the last many years for our caregiver community. I think that's not fair for the caregivers who are putting so much into that profession. They give their lives to that profession, which is either keeping them away from their loved ones or is the cause of the abuse they face. I think it's really very important that we give them some sort of certainty so that their anxiety level goes down. That's why I really want us to do this study.
When I go back in the summer to my constituents and start hearing those stories again, what am I going to tell them? Will I tell them that, for this whole session, we were not able to schedule meetings on an important issue, especially in this month of June, which has been recognized unanimously to highlight the contributions of Canadians of Filipino origin here in Canada?
I know that Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, has also announced other highly anticipated changes to language and education requirements to qualify for the new pilots that are set to launch sometime between this fall and early 2025.
Where applicants previously needed to demonstrate a language proficiency of level 5 in either English or French, that requirement has now been dropped to level 4.
Education requirements have also been lowered: caregivers previously needed to have the equivalent of at least one year of post-secondary education or a foreign educational credential equivalent.
Under the incoming pilots, the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma will suffice, along with “recent and relevant” work experience.
An offer for a full-time home care job is also required in these two programs.
Through the streams, caregivers will also be able to work for organizations that offer part-time care for people who are recovering from injury or illness and those who are not fully independent.
My colleague MP Kwan—we have been on this committee since 2015—“told the Star the changes—which she said she has pushed Ottawa to adopt—will also stop caregivers from being separated from their families by opening up more ways for them to bring relatives to Canada.”
She also said, “I've been advocating for this for over 30 years now, and so today's announcement that they will finally respect and honour caregivers and value their work...is extremely welcome.”
I think it is really very important, based on all I have said and on all the Filipino community has contributed to the economy of this country, especially in the caregiver sector and especially recognizing that June is Filipino Heritage Month, that my motion be taken into consideration and that we start this important study.
Thank you, Chair.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Chair, I move the adjournment of the debate, and I will continue to exercise my right to speak after we vote on that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
There is a motion to adjourn the debate.
I will ask the clerk to take the vote.
Liberal
Liberal
Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON
He's moving a motion to adjourn debate, and then he's putting himself on the speakers list. We all have our hands up right now. He can't do that. If he's using his slot to—
Liberal
Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON
His speaker spot is gone. There are many of us who have our hands up.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I can clear it up. As soon as he brings in a motion to adjourn the debate, then his spot is gone. Then I have to move on to the next person.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
The debate is adjourned and the floor is with Mr. McLean.
Conservative
Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate having the floor here. Thank you very much.