OUR TEAM
Gabriel Allahdua, Senior Education and Mobilization Officer
As Senior education and mobilization officer and member of RHFW’s Internal Advisory Committee, Gabriel’s role is to amplify the voices of migrant workers, educate and mobilise workers, leaders and partners.
Originally from Saint Lucia, Gabriel Allahdua worked as a migrant agricultural worker under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program for four years, from 2012 to 2015, before, due to unique circumstances, he successfully obtained permanent resident status in Canada. Today, he is a prominent voice and leader in the movement for migrant justice. Allahdua is an organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers and The Neighbourhood Organization, which provides services to migrant workers throughout southwestern Ontario. Among many other things, he participated in the virtual exhibition The Human Cost of Food and co-authored Harvesting Freedom: The Life of a Migrant Worker in Canada with Edouard Dunsworth.
Bénédicte Carole Zé, Senior Education and Mobilization Officer
As Senior education and mobilization officer and member of RHFW’s Internal Advisory Committee, Bénédicte shares her story and her point of view with the public, our partners and workers.
Arrived in Canada in 2016 on a work permit for a single agricultural employer who had recruited her in Cameroon, she is a survivor of contemporary slavery. She refuses to name him, believing that it is necessary to address the closed permit system rather than an individual person. She addressed this in Essentiels, a documentary about migrant workers in precarious jobs. After obtaining regular status during the COVID pandemic, Bénédicte Carole became very active within the rights advocacy networks Solidarity Across Borders and the Immigrant Workers’ Centre, and continues to fight every day, finally reunited with her children, for the recognition of the inherent human dignity of every im·migrant.
Me Hannah Deegan, Legal and Advocacy Counsel
Hannah is responsible for developing our advocacy-education program. In this role, she helps formulate our policy positions and oversees RHFW’s participation in state consultations, ensuring our voices are heard at the highest level. She also coordinates our involvement in coalitions and committees, identifying opportunities for collaboration with other migrant justice and workers’ rights organizations to amplify our collective impact. Most importantly, she provides internal legal opinions, in particular to ensure the success of RHFW’s strategic litigation project.
Hannah was called to the Quebec Bar in 2017 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from McGill University, with double minors in Economics and Women’s Studies. Her involvement in migrant justice advocacy began during a 2013 legal clinic internship with PINAY, a Filipino women’s organization in Quebec. She continued to volunteer with the organization for many years, contributing to the development of legal rights education materials and hosting workshops for its members. Currently, Hannah also works with the Concordia Student Union Legal Information Clinic, where she continues her commitment to improving access to justice.
Eugénie Depatie-Pelletier, Director of Research and EMWU project
Eugénie has been actively involved with the Association since 2011. Today, she is Director of Research and End Migrant Worker Unfreedom project.
Eugénie holds a master’s degree in demography (2006) and a doctorate in law (2019) from the Université de Montréal. She is an adjunct professor at the Department of Geography at Université Laval and a researcher associated with the Canada Research Chair on Global Migration Dynamics. She currently coordinates and collaborates on various academic research projects concerning the impact of migration policies on fundamental rights. Since 2006, Eugénie has produced numerous articles, book chapters and research reports on the subject and worked as an expert for community groups, non-governmental organizations, workers’ unions, Canadian ministries and public agencies, the government of Shanxi province/China, and various UN divisions. Her legal expertise includes constitutional law, immigration law, the sociology of immigration law and the history of immigration law.
Me Lauriane Palardy, Executive Director
As Executive Director, Lauriane oversees RHFW’s activities and works with members of the Board of Directors and Executive Team to ensure that RHFW’s mission is achieved. Her main objectives include amplifying the voice of migrant workers and strengthening RHFW’s capacity and impact!
A lawyer with a passion for human rights, social justice and constitutionalism, Lauriane has been involved with the association since 2019, where her roles have included board president and assistant executive director. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil law and a Juris Doctor from McGill University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in international relations and international law from UQAM. With a wide range of experience in community work, human rights and access to justice, notably with the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ) and Justice Pro Bono, she brings valuable expertise to the team.
Dominica Patterson, Information Specialist
As an information specialist, Dominica organizes and helps to disseminate RHFW’s knowledge. She is a passionate migrant rights activist with seven years of experience in scholarly research, writing, and advocacy, particularly within the agricultural sector. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in History from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Arts in International Development and Global Studies from the University of Ottawa, where her thesis focused on the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).
Before her current role as information specialist at RHFW, Dominica gained valuable experience in the hospitality industry for over ten years, which has equipped her with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by workers in precarious employment. Dominica is dedicated to advancing migrant justice and fostering a more equitable and inclusive society. She is eager to collaborate with organizations and individuals who share this commitment.
Board of Directors
Fernanda Cortes, Representative of the Advisory Board
Fernanda joined the Association in 2020, alongside her (more than full-time) fieldwork with migrant workers employed in Quebec under closed work permits in the agricultural and agri-food sectors, as part of the RATTMAQ team. Over the past few years, Fernanda has provided direct and personalized support to several dozen migrant workers, particularly those from Guatemala and Mexico. Following the disruptions associated with the pandemic, Fernanda returned to stay in Mexico with her partner – coming back to Quebec with a renewed passion for systemic advocacy for the rights of (im)migrants admitted under closed work permits in Canada.
Mona Ip, President
Having grown up in Canada and Hong Kong, Mona was exposed to the issues experienced by in-home care workers from a young age. Currently, as an impact investor and social entrepreneur, Mona’s career has encompassed roles within the federal government, private sector, and various non-profit organizations. Rising through the ranks at Global Affairs Canada, Mona worked in Ottawa, Warsaw, and Guangzhou before joining a renewable energy and sustainable development consulting start-up in Hong Kong. She has been based in Montreal since 2012, where she started a family and also founded a non-profit organization to build connections and facilitate mutual support among young families in her community. Mona is often noted for her vibrant personality and enthusiasm, and she enjoys turning to those who ask questions rather than those who seem to have all the answers.
Me Thibault Froehlich, Vice-president
A litigation attorney with a boutique law firm that specializes in civil litigation, Me Thibault Froehlich started volunteering with RHFW while he was a law student. He was elected as president of the board in 2022. He also serves as president of the Montreal chapter of Français du Monde, a recognized public interest organization. Politically engaged, Thibault fights for equal rights and against all forms of discrimination.
Michel Pilon, Administrator
Michel has been campaigning for the protection of workers’ rights in Quebec for over forty years. With degrees in law, political science and community economic development, Michel was active in various student associations, was a union activist as president of the Holiday Inn hotels union, and worked 19 years at the Fondation pour l’aide aux travailleurs accidentés (FATA). In 2017, Michel founded of the Réseau d’aide aux travailleuses et travailleurs migrants agricoles du Québec (RATTMAQ), whose mission is to offer accompaniment services in matters of legal defense, immigration, health, education and francization. He led RATTMAQ until his retirement in 2024.
Carlos Rojas, Secretary-Treasurer
Carlos, a “full-time migrant” originally from Mexico, has been defending migrants’ rights for more than two and a half decades. Now Executive Director of Action Réfugiés Montréal, Carlos worked at RHFW as Director of Operations from 2021-2024. A multilingual and multi-talented man, he has worked to raise the visibility of refugee and migrant communities in Mexico, Canada and the United States, and has created initiatives to facilitate access to health services for asylum seekers, people with precarious status and temporary workers in North America. As an expert on migration issues, co-founder and active member of several initiatives and committees, he has advised numerous organizations, including BINAM in Montreal, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the Université de Montréal’s REAC project on the safety and nutrition of foreign agricultural workers.
Other Members of our Advisory Board
Byron Acevedo Tobar
Byron arrived from Guatemala in 2014 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Along the way, he worked on three different farms, each with employer-specific work permits. Thanks to his hard work and perseverance, he was granted permanent residency in 2022. Drawing on his personal experience with closed work permits, Byron is resolutely committed to defending the rights of migrant workers in Canada. He currently represents the End Migrant Worker Unfreedom constitutional action group, and is an active volunteer with RATTMAQ and Raíces y Esperanzas.
Jerlie Pascual
Jerlie came to Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program. She worked as a caregiver during her first years in Quebec and, after obtaining her permanent resident status in 1999, she volunteered for the Association. She was quickly hired as part of the permanent team and, during her 14 years as an intervenor, Jerlie developed in-depth knowledge of immigration, employment and human rights issues. faced in particular by immigrant women employed in Quebec in private homes. Passionate about RHFW’s mission, which aims for structural changes to improve working conditions, Jerlie now contributes to the work of RHFW on its advisory committee.
Rudy Samayoa
A former worker on a closed permit and committed member of RHFW, Rudy Samayao is a fervent defender of the rights of temporary foreign workers. Having suffered from tenosynovitis – a severe form of tendonitis developed while working at Viandes Lacroix in Saint-Hyacinthe – Rudy faced considerable hardship with extraordinary resilience. After his employer failed to renew his contract and his applications for open permits were rejected, he had to return to Guatemala to obtain the necessary medical treatment. His experience highlights the abuses suffered by workers on closed permits, and he continues to campaign for recognition and redress of these harms, while calling for reform of the Canadian closed permit system.
Lizeth Vera
Based in Toronto, Lizeth arrived in Canada 12 years ago as part of the Live-in Caregiver program. Faced with violations of her labor rights, she has remained deeply committed to fair and safe working conditions. Her experience with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has shaped her passion for defending the rights and dignity of migrants. Driven by a desire to support newcomers, she obtained a diploma in community work and interned at the FCJ Refugee Centre, where she supported migrant farm workers, raising community awareness and offering support to those with precarious status. Lizeth brings a unique perspective to her involvement with the Association.
DTMF | RHFW
Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers
info@dtmf-rhfw.org
514-379-1262