As the House of Commons resumes operations after the summer break, immigration advocates are pushing for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to establish a path to permanent residency for as many as 500,000 undocumented immigrants in Canada. Since the spring, the minority Liberal government, aided by the New Democrats, has been quietly developing a so-called regularization plan for non-status migrants, many of whom are precariously employed in construction, cleaning, caregiving, food processing, and agriculture. The range of vulnerabilities faced by people in the gig economy is concerning, advocates say. Poor mental and physical health caused by social isolation and abusive working conditions were some of the main issues facing these workers.
