Again, I just want to extend my appreciation for the work you're doing and your important testimony today.
We heard Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe talk about the decline in aid from Canada.
Dr. Nickerson, you talked about 300 million people in literally life-saving requirement situations—the most ever in history.
Here in Canada right now.... We've heard from Ms. Lallemand—I'm going to give her a chance to speak a bit about it—who raised concerns about the government's plan to reduce immigration levels at a time like this. Certainly, we're seeing rising anti-immigration sentiment around the world and here in Canada.
Migrant Rights Network has just published an open letter to the Minister of Immigration and to our own Prime Minister on this issue. It's been endorsed by 143 organizations so far.
A portion of the letter reads:
Migrants are not responsible for Canada's housing crisis, lack of jobs, or inadequate healthcare or other public services. They often live in some of the worst housing [situations], face extreme exploitation at work, and are denied access to basic services. Recent media coverage and public statements linking them to the affordability crisis are distractions from decades of federal and provincial policies that have underfunded and privatized public services. Reductions to migration numbers lean into these xenophobic ideas, eroding public confidence in immigration policies and resulting in greater racism.
Ms. Lallemand, do you agree that refugees and migrants are being scapegoated right now by policy failures?
What can be done to counter that narrative?