Migrant Justice
What do migrant workers say?
May 27, 2014
Recent news about problems with the Government of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) has largely ignored the voices of those most affected – migrant workers and their families. KAIROS is concerned that the federal government’s response to flaws with…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Advent, Human Rights and International Migrants Day
December 18, 2013
Alfredo Barahona, KAIROS’ Migrant Relations Coordinator, reflects on Advent and International Migrants Day from the perspective of his own personal experiences as a migrant to Canada from El Salvador, and his recent visit to Quito.
Post filed in: Latin America, Migrant Justice
Faith, Economy, Migration: Exploring the Connections
November 26, 2013
Alfredo Barahona is representing KAIROS at the Ecumenical Dialogue of the Americas on Faith, Economy and Migrations in Quito, Ecuador from November 27 to December 1. Organized and hosted by the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), one of KAIROS’…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Migrant Justice
Her Name is Edna
November 6, 2013
In her presentation to the workshop “Dialogue of Theologies in the Struggle for Life: For a New Ecumenism” at the World Council of Churches’ 10th Assembly, KAIROS ED Jennifer Henry argues that it is “the migrants and refugees knocking at…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
The Intersections of Faith, Migration, Human Rights, Development and Justice
October 15, 2013
“Every person bears the inherent gift of the likeness of God. A true and meaningful dialogue on migration includes migrants as subjects of their own destinies and puts primacy to their human rights and welfare. Such dialogue must not be…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Family Separation Affects Children of Migrant Workers in Canada and Around the World.
October 2, 2013
Family separation is one issue being explored at the United Nations in New York, October 1-5, as migrants and their allies converge to discuss how to help decision-makers understand that justice must be part of any discussion on migration issues.
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Churches Witnessing With Migrants
September 27, 2013
From October 1-5, 2013, KAIROS will join church reps from around the world gathering in New York City for the Churches Witnessing with Migrants gathering. This event will coincide with the United Nations High Level Dialogue on International Migration and…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Serving refugees in the Middle East region: DSPR
July 23, 2013
KAIROS partner, Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), is a body of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) that serves Palestinian and other refugees across the Middle East region. In operation since 1949, DSPR provides diverse services to…
Post filed in: Middle East, Migrant Justice
How does Canada welcome the stranger?
June 20, 2013
June 20th was established by the United Nations as World Refugee Day to honour the courage and determination of those men, women and children who are forced by persecution and conflict to flee their homes. It is a good time…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Manitoba Government Extends Health Care Coverage for Seasonal Agricultural Workers
May 17, 2013
The Government of Manitoba has acknowledged the importance of migrant workers to Canada’s standard of living by extending health care coverage for seasonal agricultural workers. The hope is that other provincial governments will follow Manitoba’s lead.
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program do not address the vulnerability of migrant workers in Canada
May 1, 2013
On Monday, April 29 the Government of Canada introduced changes to the temporary foreign workers program (TFWP). KAIROS welcomes some of the changes announced by the federal government, such as the decision to remove the provision that allowed employers to…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
International Migrants Day
December 18, 2012
Today is International Migrants Day. While we salute and celebrate the contribution of hundreds of thousands of workers worldwide, KAIROS is saddened and concerned about a series of changes over the past year, which reduce migrant workers’ rights. As a…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Temporary migrant workers who pay Employment Insurance are no longer eligible to collect benefits
December 17, 2012
Ironically, changes to Employment Insurance Regulations announced earlier by the Government of Canada came into effect on December 10, International Human Rights day. As a result of these changes, migrant workers who pay into the Employment Insurance (EI) system while…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
KAIROS Receives Award for Outstanding Migrant Justice Work
November 23, 2012
KAIROS was the recipient of a UFCW Canada Agricultural Workers Award, along with four others, in recognition for its outstanding contributions to improving the lives of agriculture workers in Canada. The award was presented at a ceremony in Toronto on…
Post filed in: Media Releases, Migrant Justice
Contradictions
November 8, 2012
Manila, November 3, 2012 By Alfredo Barahona Manila is a beautiful place, but it is full of contradictions. I am here to participate in the meetings of the World Council of Churches’ Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (GEM) that are…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
From Toronto to Manila for meetings of the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration
November 8, 2012
November 3, 2012 This is Alfredo Barahona, the migrant justice coordinator at KAIROS. Welcome to the new migrant justice blog! I’m heading to the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (GEM) meetings in Manila. This is profoundly significant as the Philippines…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
How the Law Constructs Migrant Workers’ Insecurity
September 21, 2012
KAIROS welcomes the Metcalf Foundation’s new report “Made in Canada; How the Law Constructs Migrant Workers’ Insecurity”, written by Toronto lawyer Fay Faraday and released on September 17, 2012. While the report focuses on migrant workers in Ontario, it offers…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Migrant workers deserve to be treated with fairness and equity – Toronto Star Op-Ed
July 19, 2012
View article in Toronto Star The parking lot near St. Michael’s Church in Leamington is full but not with cars — with bicycles — the only mode of transportation most temporary foreign workers can afford. Many have ridden 30 minutes,…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
KAIROS joins migrant, labour and community organizations concerned about changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
May 16, 2012
KAIROS joined migrant, labour and community organizations at a press conference in Ottawa on May 15 to express concerns about the recently announced changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The changes will allow employers to pay migrant workers…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Protect Refugees from Bill C-31 joint statement
May 4, 2012
03 May 2012 In March 2012, KAIROS endorsed Protect Refugees from Bill C-31, a joint statement initiated by the Justice for Refugees and Immigrants Coalition, which is comprised of Amnesty International, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Canadian Civil…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Thoughts and prayers go out to the families following road accident in Southwestern Ontario
February 7, 2012
On the evening of Monday February 6, eleven people died as a result of a traffic accident near the community of Hampstead, ON when a truck collided with a van at an intersection. The driver of the truck and 10…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Building a Culture of Solidarity with Migrant Workers
December 14, 2011
A Christmas Wish to mark December 18 International Migrants Day On 4 December 2000, the UN General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December as International Migrant’s Day. On 18…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
Faith and Forced Migration
July 12, 2011
May, 1980. The moment was approaching. June 7, 1980, time of war, exodus and crossings. We were forced to walk across borders imposed by the colonizers. Archbishop Romero and many other holy people had already left. The signs of the…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice, Spirited Reflections
Continents Apart: Same Pain – Shared Hope
February 3, 2011
When I first set foot in Manila, Philippines in 2008 to participate in the 1st International Assembly of Migrant and Refugees (IAMR), I noticed the similarity between the Philippines and Latin America with their common history of colonialism and extreme…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice, Spirited Reflections
Humanized Globalization: Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and Migrant Workers from Guatemala to Canada. A conversation with Bishop Ramazzini
October 28, 2010
“ This gathering is an expression of our desire to humanize globalization. I want to thank you for that”. This is how Bishop Ramazzini from the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marcos in Guatemala, began his talk to a group…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights, Latin America, Migrant Justice
Agricultural migrant workers are created in the image of God, treat them equally!
January 29, 2009
As Christians, we are called to stand in solidarity with those who must leave their homes in search of their God given right to life with dignity. The biblical mandate is to welcome the stranger, not to treat them differently…
Post filed in: Migrant Justice
