Filipino man’s immigration hearing put off

Normally one would ask for assistance from their county’s embassy or consulate staff. The Filipino consulate sent a rep to Whitehorse this past week. They have a better understanding of immigration and Canadian immigration law than our local Yukon union rep.

Send them home.  And send Alex Furlong with them.  Those who would break our laws, as some of their first acts, on our native soil, should not be allowed to benefit from their criminal behavior.

Alex furlong sure enjoys defending criminals. Can we just deport him with his filipino buddy’s? lol

These foreign workers take jobs no one else wants, and don’t complain about it.  Without them there would be no one to work at Tim Hortons or Canadian Tire.  Most of the youth in this city view themselves as “above” working at “those places”. Sad really, it would teach them some work ethic.  Should make some of those on welfare fill these jobs too.

There foreign workers take jobs that pay below a LIVING WAGE. They come to our country and get treated better than citizens who have lived here their whole life’s. You support that kind of garbage happy paws? And its funny that the only qualified people are of filipino origin. Seems kind of a racist policy to me. Where are the Chinese? Japanese? Arab? You people have no clue what you support. Its the blind leading the blind.

Happy paws… your comment disgusts me.  A few younger people i know have tried applying at canadian tire or tim hortons and have been turned away because of no employment… As well, who can live confortable on minimum wage, yet work like a dog… no wonder our youth leave this territory for alberta to find work

It’s about time some of them are getting sent back I have seen way too many employers in this town let go of people that have been working for them for more than 10 years and hire someone from the Philippines who is willing to work for $8 an hour.

These owners are in no way attempting to even try to look for employees I have even seen some of them turn down every person that would drop of a resume so they can send in a request to sponsor people and say that no one applied for the job and I have even heard from the mouth of some Fillipinos that they only get a small amount of wage but they have been promised that the business would sponsor the rest of their families.

I have nothing against immigrants and frankly I don’t blame them for wanting to come to Canada. It’s the business owners!

Maybe it might be a better thing if Alex Furlong stood up for Yukon youth, and maybe got some of them involved in union activities, by standing up for them.  Maybe that might be a way to increase membership numbers, instead of supporting criminal activities. Who does Alex think he is, Jimmy Hoffa Junior?

And another important point is what these employers are doing is creating an environment that the average Caucasian person would not want any part of. I can’t speak for everyone but but for some I would assume it would be very intimidating when there is 30 filipinos and 1 Caucasian guy working in one location. These employers put more effort into hiring these foreigners than looking in their own backyards and paying a LIVABLE wage. All I know is I do not support these stores. I suggest people do the same, speak with your wallet. They don’t deserve our money. One more point about these foreign workers. Alex furlong seems to forget mentioning that these workers are not supporting our economy. What does that mean? When more than half of their wages are being shipped overseas to their family’s, the money they earn here does not benefit our economy. Think about that one.

There are other foreign workers, not just Filipino - there are Vietnamese, Chinese and East Indian, to name a few.  They work hard, come to work on time, take any extra hours offered to them and don’t whine and complain - I wish the same could be said for a large portion of the spoiled rotten Canadian youth - no wonder employers prefer to hire foreigners.  I know one foreign family that has put 3 kids through university doing janitorial work most Canadian’s wouldn’t lower themselves to do.  They prove success is possible if you are willing to work hard.

In my teens and 20’s I spent 6 years working at or near minimum wage, supporting myself - I am no stranger to a food bank, even though I worked full time hours.  It taught me how to “bust my butt” and to appreciate a higher paying job, not just feel entitled to it.  A very good life lesson - you have to work for what you get.

I support anyone (from any country) who has the ambition and will to actually work for what they get - not just expect the plum jobs to be handed to them.

What a bunch of disgusting and racist comments.  The story is about an immigration hearing of a particular Filipino man who allegedly violated the terms of his work permit and, in response to this story, some locals post anti-immigration slurs.  From my perspective, I see people moving to the Yukon and working hard to make a better life - they don’t seem to be causing any problems but shaming a lot of lazy Canadians.  I have lived in the Yukon for my entire life and applaud their work ethic - if an able-bodied Yukoner cannot find employment, he is isn’t looking.  Quit complaining and start taking responsibility for your life.

This story was written to discuss whether this man should stay or not yet everyone seems to want to get their b*tch in about their opinions of foreign workers.

Because there is a mentality that if Yukon residents aren’t getting top dollar to do not much, many find other means of getting paid (ei. our easy going welfare system, etc) so I support foreign workers.

Regarding the comment about these workers taking jobs from youth: BS it’s hard for limited and experienced youth to find jobs in this town; ever try and get in and out of Superstore fast at the 5pm rush?  They are desperate for people.  True they don’t have the highest wages but they do have flexible shifts, opportunities for advancement, benefits and a union.  Interestingly enough Superstore doesn’t seem to take on foreign workers as Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire do – maybe they should then we can all get in and get out after buying our groceries instead of waiting for lazy youth to join the workforce and ignorant adults to stop complaining about the foreigners.

The flip side:

Again, I support foreign workers but not the ones who break our laws or anyone breaking laws for that matter.  Sadly if this gentleman is aloud to stay it sends a pretty loud message that Canadian laws and requirements are not to be respected and don’t have to be because hey, we’ll just let you stay anyway. 

Funny enough many foreigners choose to come to Canada because their own homes are corrupt which is ironic since they come here and break the law.  Canada wouldn’t be so great if everyone was aloud to do whatever they wanted.  This gentleman had a bad run of luck and got dealt a poor hand and my heart goes out to him and his family back home who he is trying to support however in a court of law bad luck isn’t a good enough excuse to break the law.

Don’t blame these immigrants for wanting a better life. It is easy to point the finger when you have lived and grown up in a rich nation like Canada. Put your self in there shoes for once. They are not criminals. The criminals are the employers who are not willing to pay a reasonable wage to locals. Min wage should be $12 or $13/h. These companies just want legal slave labor!

The article is regarding the hearing of the 2 Filipinos who broke the law. They broke the law so they should suffer the consequences, just like anyone else would.

But why generalized all Filipino Foreign workers? I find some comments here disgusting.

Why not use the energy to focus on the good Filipinos do and write a blog about it.

i don’t mind foreign workers but if they break the law they should be punished for it just like everybody else who commits an offence. There are ups and downs about this matter but I’d say these two men were responsible for their actions because they know that their work permit was only valid in the province that hired them and that is even stated on the work permit but they’re using the “ignorance” excuse to try to get away with it.

For evryone please read yukon hootch’s comment please ..... he hit the right spot! and evryone please stop the hate… we are still human beings after all,  show the love and burn the hate, this 2 filipino workers broke the law plain and simple and in Canada no one is above the law you do the crime you do the time, one year of no re-entry is a slap in the hand buddy, dont try to abuse the system by having evryone get involved its not right, you know you broke the law and leave it that way.

And to the president of the filipino organization and officers who condone this act, Not all filipinos agrree on what you are doing, PLEASE dont assume that because we are filipinos we aggree with you or your officers actions! please stop! its plain and simple that these 2 filipinos broke the law and they have to abide by the canadaian law…. I’m proud to be a filipino but there is always right and wrong and we all know they did wrong by not thinking clearly what they are doing, I’m pretty sure they know what they where doing but they choose to break the law and claerly thinks they can get away with it…. to Francis & Raynaldo Canada is giving you a second chance to do it right! please stop! look! and listen! its a good deal in the U.S its 5 to 10 years ..... as far as i know you already have someone who wants to hire you anyways so what the big deal ,go home relax wait for a year and do it again and do it right this time .... see you guys next year and enjoy your vacation back home ok!

I believe in Canada’s justice system, as I understand, this case is still being heard and yet we have already convicted so many people.  I suggest that we let the wheels of justice work, and what ever happens here, let this be a lesson to all of us.  The way I see it, these poor filipinos does not mean to break the law, its just they don’t know how to go about doing it the right way, or mislead by other people who are also ignorant of procedures.  Lets pray for them and hope that God will hear their prayers for their family’s sake.

Youkonnotdoit,

They will never get a visa to Canada again! Once you have been ordered removed for Breaching the visa conditions the chances of getting a future visa are not good!

I didn’t know Whitehorse Star was an Editorial. Such a biased article for such a complex issue. I’m disappointed by the reactions of some of the residents of Whitehorse.
Foreign workers come to Canada with the intention of supporting their families back in the corrupted countries they came from.
They didn’t know the law, and their employers (Canadian Citizens) didn’t bother to look either. I bet a good percentage of the population don’t know the law or justice system. So before you put down people who have the ambition and will to come to a new country just to help their families back home, try and figure out what you would do with no job, in a new country, and starving family members are waiting for you aid.

i have no problem with foreigners coming to canada… but when they steal our jobs we need… thats when i have a problem.

Yukon Pete,

Yah! the chances are not good maybe?, who knows, I mean who are we to say what the future will bring..eh? It all depends on the Canadian Immigration and the immigration officer who will handle the case …the severity of what this two individuals did will surely come in to play, but they will hear them out and listen to what they have to say regardless of what they have done…. I still think a second chance is still a good chance, I mean considering they broke the law and all….they are still good decent people and as far as I know they did not harm anyone and they just want to work and earn an honest living just like any other foreign workers that are here working now. also don’t forget they have an employer willing to hire them and government officials who are willing to back them up. So yah! We will see what the future will bring to this two individuals and if you see them working next year at Tim Horton’s then your hunch is wrong.