Canada’s temporary foreign workers are facing various forms of mistreatment, including wage theft, long work hours, limited breaks, and physical abuse, as highlighted in a recent final report by the United Nations’ special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.
Tomoya Obokata, the special rapporteur, reiterated concerns about the program being a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery,” citing instances of underpayment, lack of protective equipment, document confiscation, reduced working hours, and hindrance in accessing healthcare for the workers.
The report also mentioned cases of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse reported by women workers, with allegations that police have not adequately addressed complaints and have even reported workers to immigration authorities rather than investigating the issues.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged the abuses outlined in the report and emphasized the need to stop such mistreatment, stating that all individuals in Canada, regardless of their employers, must be treated with dignity and respect as per the law.
While Miller mentioned upcoming changes to the program to address these issues, he also stressed the government’s caution in avoiding inflation of food prices, particularly in the agricultural sector, which holds the majority of temporary foreign work permits.
The report attributed the abuse to a power imbalance due to closed work permits that tie workers to specific employers, limiting their ability to seek help or change jobs. It also criticized the government for not effectively informing workers about their rights and for relying on employers to do so, despite a clear conflict of interest.
The report called for better information dissemination to workers and highlighted the need to address recruitment fees and employer sanctions to prevent ongoing abuses. Despite government efforts to crack down on non-compliance in the program, advocates like Amanda Aziz from the Migrants Workers Centre emphasized that more needs to be done to prevent abuse and protect the rights of temporary foreign workers in Canada.
