Consulate General Toronto Conducts Talk on New Caregiver Pathways and Latest Updates on Canada’s Immigration Law and Policy
Fil-Canadian immigration lawyer Maria Deanna P. Santos noted the gendered nature of household domestic work and caregiving.
02 April 2018 TORONTO — In line with the celebration of the 2018 National Women`s Month and pursuant to its Gender and Development Program, the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto conducted a talk on the topic “Recent Updates to Canada`s Immigration Law and Policy” on 23 March 2018 at the Consulate`s conference room. Filipino-Canadian immigration lawyer Maria Deanna P. Santos was tapped as the resource person for the lecture.
Atty. Santos is known in the Filipino-Canadian community as a staunch advocate for the rights and welfare of Filipino live-in caregivers. She is often invited as a resource speaker by various non-profit organizations and settlement agencies that work with newcomers and caregivers.
Atty. Santos has been practicing mainly immigration law in Ontario for more than 10 years. She obtained a PhD at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University where she did research on human rights and migrant domestic work and worked as a Human Rights Advisor at the Centre for Human Rights and Equity. Before coming to Canada, she obtained a Master of Laws degree at Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at Lund University, Sweden. Prior to that, she was called to the Bar in the Philippines, worked at Quasha Law Office and at the Commission on Human Rights.
In her talk, Atty. Santos noted the gendered nature of household domestic work and caregiving. She also discussed that while more men migrate to Canada as principal applicants, usually through the Federal Economic Class, i.e. Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class, under the caregiver stream, there are strikingly more females than males admitted to Canada.
She also noted that although there have been improvements in the caregiver program, there have been fewer applicants under the new Caregiver Pathways because of the stricter requirements and stringent rules.
At the end of the presentation, Consul General Rosalita S. Prospero thanked Atty. Santos for sharing her talents and knowledge to the personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and its attached agencies and for continuing to advocate for the protection of the rights of caregivers and human rights in general. END
For more information, visit www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto
The officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and attached agencies pose for a souvenir photo before the talk on new caregiver pathways and latest updates to Canada`s immigration law and policy by Fil-Canadian immigration lawyer Maria Deanna P. Santos (4th from the right).