Bill C-2 will Harm Farmers, Farm workers, says National Farmers Union
The National Farmers Union (NFU) urges the federal government to withdraw Bill C-2, The Strong Borders Act. Bill C-2 jeopardizes the safety and rights of migrants and refugees, threatens agricultural production, and grants sweeping powers for the government to pry into the private lives of all Canadians.
The Bill empowers the government to cancel, suspend, or change immigration documents including applications, work permits, or study permits under the pretext of an undefined “public interest.”
Even the Liberal Minister of Justice reports in his Charter Analysis that the new powers to cancel or modify immigration documents could interfere with fundamental provisions for life, liberty, and security that are afforded to all migrants and refugees.
Migrant Rights Network warns that the powers granted to immigration officials will impede refugees seeking asylum, increase the risks of deportation, and put the lives of migrants in danger. Other organizations warn that these changes could increase labour trafficking by making migrants vulnerable to deportation.
The Bill also allows for the deportation of asylum-seeking refugees without a hearing if they entered Canada more than a year ago. Setting time limits on refugee hearings is considered a violation of international law.
By limiting the time period for claim dates for refugees coming from the United States, the Strong Borders Act would increase the likelihood of their deportation back to the U.S. where they have been subject to extrajudicial policing and a campaign of terror. Undocumented farm workers in the U.S. have described being “hunted like animals” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“The NFU is horrified by ICE’s treatment of migrant food producers in the United States. Apparently as an appeasement to Trump, this Bill threatens to make Canada complicit in the abuse of migrants both here and south of the border,” says Jenn Pfenning, NFU President.
The NFU calls for the repeal of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States. Refugees should be able to transit between Canada and the U.S. or vice versa in the process of making their refugee claim.
Farmers are concerned that the changes proposed by Bill C-2 will prevent migrants and refugees from building a stable life in Canada.
NFU membership includes immigrants, new Canadians, and farmers who hire migrant workers.
In 2022, one in four farm workers in Canada were temporary foreign workers (TFWs). The NFU is worried that the human rights of TFWs may be violated and that the Bill would have a chilling effect across the agricultural sector.
“The NFU has long advocated that the expansion of rights and protections to migrant workers would strengthen agricultural production, while Bill C-2 threatens to undermine them,” says Pfenning.
The NFU is also concerned about Bill C-2’s impact on privacy rights and the potential to pry into the personal lives of all residents.
Bill C-2 subjects Canadians to warrantless surveillance of their electronic and paper communications. A warrant is a legal document issued by a judge or government official that authorizes law enforcement to arrest or search.
Warrants are necessary safeguards to protect individuals from arbitrary search of property or personal information. The Act would permit law enforcement to open any mail handled by Canada Post and “demand information from various [communications] companies without any judicial oversight and with less proof of suspicion.”
The Strong Borders Act would also create provisions to share Canadians’ data with U.S. law enforcement.
“The expansion of surveillance enabled by this legislation sets a dangerous precedent for intrusion into our personal lives. I object to the government collecting any of my electronic or paper communications without warrant,” says Matthew Wiens, NFU board member. The NFU joins other civil society organizations in their calls to withdraw Bill C-2. To uphold Canadian values of respect, fairness, and hospitality we must guarantee rights to all immigrants. Finally, the privacy of all who live in and work in Canada must be guaranteed – no one should be subject to warrantless searches of their personal information.
