Two-dozen demonstrators braved rain outside Burrard SkyTrain station yesterday to protest the federal government’s proposed changes to a bill that would affect how immigrants are selected for entrance into Canada.
If passed, Bill C-50 would likely deny entry to immigrants currently allowed into the country, organizers say.
The groups No One Is Illegal, Justice for Migrant Workers and the Chinese Canadian National Council rallied to bring awareness to the bill.
Harsha Walia, of No One Is Illegal, said the bill “assigns a value to (immigrants) based on what people perceive their value to be rather than the inherent dignity of migrants.”
Aviiana Vaz, a new Canadian citizen from Bolivia and an organizer with Justice for Migrant Workers, said she could be personally affected by Bill C-50.
“If I want to sponsor some of my family, they probably won’t meet the requirements, because under Bill C-50 the government isn’t going to recognize family unification.”
