Seasonal migrant farm workers from Dominica, which was ravaged by Hurricane Maria, are pleading with Ottawa to allow them to remain and continue to work in Canada while their families are trying to rebuild their lives, and their country.The Category 5 storm — which also paralyzed Puerto Rico — ripped through the Caribbean island in September, flattening homes, destroying infrastructure, cutting off power and telecommunications, and killing dozens of people.“We lost everything. I have no home to go back to,” said Benjimine Camrane Joseph, who arrived on a farm in Tillsonburg, Ont., in April, to help with planting and harvesting of cucumbers, asparagus and peppers.Read more: Hurricane Maria survivor returns home to OntarioHowever, like others in Canada’s seasonal agricultural worker program, Joseph must return home when his eight-month work permit expires on Dec. 15, as stipulated by the labour contract between his government and that of Canada.The 27-year-old said he sends home three-quarters of the money he makes in Canada to support his wife, son, parents and five brothers. With the damage caused by Hurricane Maria, Joseph said he cannot afford a break from work. “My whole family relies on me,” said Joseph, who was unemployed and tended his family farm before entering the migrant worker program for the first time last year.“There were no jobs in Dominica, and now it’s going to be worse because everything was destroyed in the hurricane and closed down. We need to rebuild our homes, our country.” On Friday night, a coalition of advocacy and community groups sent a letter to federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and Employment Minister Patricia Hajdu, asking them to extend the Dominican migrant workers’ expiring work permits.“These workers are the backbone of Canada’s agricultural industry. They help put food on the table of Canadians,” said Chris Ramsaroop of Justicia for Migr ...
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