The number of migrant workers in Canada has expanded rapidly in recent years, and many sectors now rely on temporary labour as a source of permanent labour supply. This shift has had a profound impact on workers’ rights, with the UN special envoy calling Canada’s temporary foreign worker programme a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” in a report in August.
Like other countries, Canada’s temporary foreign worker programmes leave migrant workers uniquely vulnerable to abuse, control and exploitation. The temporary and restrictive nature of work permits and visas, and the precarity of the work in sectors like agriculture and food services, mean that job loss and the resulting loss of immigration status is an ever-present threat for most migrant workers.
Canada has made some efforts to acknowledge these issues. It has, for example, introduced an open work permit for workers who are facing abusive or exploitative working conditions. But far more must be done to ensure access to justice for migrant workers. We can start now.
