• About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
Sunday, January 29, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home *Opinion*

Vaccine leave-out or roll-out? No mention of migrant workers in New Brunswick in new provincial vaccine schedule

Several New Brunswick community organizations call on the government to include migrant workers in the early vaccination schedule

by Aditya Rao
March 27, 2021
Reading Time: 2min read
Vaccine leave-out or roll-out? No mention of migrant workers in New Brunswick in new provincial vaccine schedule

Fredericton-based immigration lawyer Jael Duarte says that the New Brunswick government needs to prioritize the vaccination of temporary foreign workers. Photo submitted.

Fredericton – Migrant workers were excluded from the new vaccination roll-out plan the Government of New Brunswick released on Friday, March 12, 2021–but this is not the first time migrant workers were discriminated against by the government’s COVID-19 plans. On April 28, 2020, the Government pushed to ban migrant workers from entering the province while other essential workers were free to enter.

The three-stage provincial vaccination roll-out plan starting in March and ending in June outlines the groups of people eligible for vaccines within each stage. Although the Government of Canada’s vaccine schedule recommends inclusion of migrant workers for vaccination at stage two, New Brunswick has decided to exclude them.

“The Government’s decision to exclude migrant workers from the vaccination schedule will put these workers’ lives at risk,” says Tia Dafnos, a professor and member of No One Is Illegal-Fredericton.

No One Is Illegal-Fredericton is joined by the province’s largest union – CUPE NB – as well as several community members in calling for the Government of New Brunswick to include migrant workers in the second stage of their vaccine roll-out plan.

“We need to ensure that no person is left unprotected from COVID-19. Migrant workers need the same protections from COVID-19 as all other New Brunswickers. This is especially true for migrant workers living in shared accommodations,” says the open letter.

Other signatories include Unifor, community groups such as Common Front for Social Justice, Grassroots NB, Fédération des étudiantes et étudiants de Campus universitaire de Moncton, as well as L’Hirondelle Farm, Atlantic Certified Organic Cooperative, Black Lives Matter-Fredericton, and Reproductive Justice NB, among others.

“All workers with a high risk profile should be treated equally regardless of immigration status,” said Jael Duarte, Immigration Lawyer and member of No One is Illegal-Fredericton. “Relying solely on isolation instead of giving all migrant workers the vaccine shows a willingness to put their lives at risk.”

NOII-F argues the vaccine should be made available to all, and there should be no immigration consequences for those seeking to access the vaccine.

The wellbeing and safety of migrant workers is in the hands of the Government of New Brunswick.

A national statement in support of vaccines for all has been signed by over 250 organizations.

Aditya Rao is an organizer with No One Is Illegal-Fredericton. No One Is Illegal-Fredericton (NOII), is a Fredericton based organization part of a larger migrant justice movement around the world. Members of NOII advocate for anti-colonial and anti-capitalist politics as well as for the right for people to move, to remain in, and to return. 

Tags: Aditya RaoCOVID-19CUPEhealthmigrant workersNo One Is Illegal Frederictonvaccination
ShareTweetSend

Related Posts

Bargaining Forward: Book co-published by CUPE, NB Media Co-op documents historic 2021 strike [video]
Books

Bargaining Forward: Book co-published by CUPE, NB Media Co-op documents historic 2021 strike [video]

January 27, 2023

A new book co-published by the NB Media Co-op and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) vividly documents the...

Canada’s immigration policy a ‘revolving door’ of exploitation: Migrant Workers Alliance for Change [video]
Immigration

Canada’s immigration policy a ‘revolving door’ of exploitation: Migrant Workers Alliance for Change [video]

January 20, 2023

The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change wants a regularization program on the agenda of a three-day federal cabinet retreat to...

COMMENTARY: Blaine Higgs is holding us back
New Brunswick

COMMENTARY: Blaine Higgs is holding us back

January 17, 2023

About a year ago, I wrote a piece for the NB Media Co-op in which I lamented the PC government’s...

Health care for all: Kerian Burnett’s story [video]
Health

Health care for all: Kerian Burnett’s story [video]

December 9, 2022

Editor's note: This is the story of migrant worker Kerian Burnett, a Jamaican woman who has been in Canada since...

Load More
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In