We still need your support, please consider taking a moment to donate to our COVID-19 fundraiser as a way to directly support our non-status community members. Many members of the Solidarity Across Borders network who have lost their jobs are now also at risk of losing their homes because they cannot pay the rent. Some do not have enough money for food nor are they able to pay their bills. Additionally, we have also received calls for support from non-status residents looking for resources to take care of themselves and their families, given that at this moment there is no program that encompasses their needs. As of today—and with the solidarity of our broader Montréal community—we have re-distributed nearly $20,000 to our non-status neighbours. But the crisis is not over.
And not everyone is living through this current crisis in the same way. COVID-19 has dramatic consequences for the global economy and all of us will be impacted by this. But those who are put in structurally vulnerable positions will be hurt the most. Long before the pandemic, our neighbours with precarious status have been working in the lowest-paid jobs and in difficult conditions without any protection. It is not only a matter of being excluded from the protections that many of us share—like access to economic relief measures—but also of being exposed to the whims of predatory landlords and greedy bosses, who can unscrupulously take advantage of our non-status community members, even in a moment like this. While Solidarity Across Borders recognizes and insists that a Status For All is the only adequate and comprehensive response to these cruel forms of oppression and the suffering they cause, we also recognize that financial support is an effective way of keeping our community safe at this moment.
As we continue to struggle through this crisis, it has become more clear than ever that we need a comprehensive regularization program that leaves no one behind. When the Canadian government implements emergency measures to offer those impacted by the economic fallout of the COVID-19, we need to ensure all of us have access to these same measures regardless of status. In this moment, rather than building walls, we need to become closer to our neighbours and those around us to build true community. A two-tiered system where only some members of our community have access to financial assistance, the health system, and education cannot be allowed to continue.
Please spread the word about this fundraiser and donate if you are able to. We are going to push the Canadian government as hard as we can to implement a regularization program now. And, as the COVID-19 crisis continues, please think about all of your neighbours, including those who have no access to government aid. Let’s continue to come together to support them.
How to donate
→ Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/levee-de-fonds-pour-nos-voisins-sans-statut
→ E-transfer: Send an e-transfer to solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com
→ Cheque made out to “Solidarité sans frontières” / cash that can be mailed to:
Solidarity Across Borders ℅ QPIRG Concordia
2100 Rue Guy, suite #205, Montreal, QC H3H 2M8
→ Online / By PayPal: solidarityacrossborders.org/donate
How to get support and what type of support this fund offers
We hope this fund will help cover urgent costs such as:
- Food
- Rent
- Cellphone bills
- Medication
If you are a non-status migrant who needs support, please contact Solidarity Across Borders:
Email: solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com
Phone: 514-809-0773 (leave a message and someone will return your call)