A group of activists and human rights defenders gathered in Montreal to demand the regularization of "all undocumented immigrants in Canada."

The gathering was organized by the organization "Solidarity Across Borders" in front of the electoral district office of Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

The Immigrant Workers Centre participated in the stand attended by a number of undocumented immigrants.

The attendees chanted slogans demanding the regularization of all people without legal status "without exception" and the halt of deportation and expulsion operations of these people from Canada.

Samira Yasmeen, from the organization "Solidarity Across Borders," said that her association "demands a comprehensive regularization program that grants full and permanent status to all refugees, undocumented immigrants, and those in precarious situations without excluding anyone."

She also stressed the immediate cessation of deportations.

This gathering is part of activities scheduled for this week in Montreal and throughout Canada. It targets government ministers who are members of the Canadian House of Commons, who are supposed to be present in their electoral offices to receive citizens.

No minister agreed to receive the participants in the stands. Protesters gathered last Tuesday in front of Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez's office.

On Wednesday afternoon, the protesters moved to the office of Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. They also plan to demonstrate in front of the offices of Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office.

Samira Yasmeen recalled that in December 2021, the Prime Minister tasked the Immigration Minister with "finding a solution for about 500,000 people without legal status in Canada."

Last December, current Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that a regularization program would be announced in spring 2024.

"This announcement is another ray of hope for each of us. We expect it to be without exclusion," she said.

She added that in reality, "undocumented immigrants are not treated equally because of their status. They are subject to exploitation and intimidation. They work hard and for low wages."

Last December, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that Canada is preparing a "major program" to regularize the status of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants living and working illegally in the country.

In an interview with the daily English-language newspaper "Globe and Mail," the minister announced that he intends to present a plan in this regard next spring.

According to the minister, between 300,000 and 600,000 people live illegally in Canada, often for years. They face the risk of deportation at any time.

The new program will also include people who entered the country legally as temporary workers or international students but stayed after their visas expired, according to Globe and Mail.

In recent months, the government has held numerous meetings with associations defending undocumented immigrants and social organizations to develop this plan, which will be the largest in Canada's history.

Canada, with a population of 40 million, experienced record population growth in 2022 due to the influx of immigrants. Ottawa plans to receive 500,000 immigrants annually by 2025.

In response to a question from Radio Canada International's Spanish section regarding the date the government will announce the plan to regularize the status of undocumented immigrants, Isabelle Dubois, spokesperson for the Immigration Ministry, did not give a specific date.

She said that the ministry "is studying the opportunities available to regularize the status of undocumented immigrants who contribute to Canadian communities."

She added that the government "is in contact with academic experts and stakeholders to support this work. During our work, we will continue to listen to experts as well as the undocumented individuals themselves."