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Ecumenical Partners Call for Justice for Migrant Workers

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Published on 
September 21, 2022

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser, the Anglican Church of Canada and three ecumenical partners call for a more just system for migrant workers in Canada.

The Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and The United Church of Canada, as denominations involved in the global movement of Churches Witnessing with Migrants (CWWM), urge the Government of Canada to explore “Processes to regularize undocumented workers and provide pathways to permanent residency for migrant workers, particularly those in low-wage jobs” to better protect workers’ rights and decrease opportunities for exploitation.

“We believe we are called to love and show hospitality to everyone in our midst, and that one of the ways we can do this is through developing comprehensive and equitable policy to protect the rights of migrant workers,” the letter states.

Read the full letter here.

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.