What it’s like to be an undocumented migrant in Canada episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 24, 2025 · 21 MIN

What it’s like to be an undocumented migrant in Canada

from The Decibel · host The Globe and Mail

The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported.Globe journalist Sarah Efron and freelance photographer Yader Guzman spent months meeting people from Canada’s undocumented migrant community. Today, Sarah and Yader share what they learned about why people choose to stay despite the often dismal conditions they face in employment, health and housing, and how the federal government is responding.This episode originally aired March 25, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported. Globe journalist Sarah Efron and freelance photographer Yader Guzman spent months meeting people from Canada’s undocumented migrant community. Today, Sarah and Yader share what they learned about why people choose to stay despite the often dismal conditions they face in employment, health and housing, and how the federal government is responding.

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What it’s like to be an undocumented migrant in Canada

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This episode is 21 minutes long.

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This episode was published on July 24, 2025.

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The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status...

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