Who We Are

The Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia (CMWR NS) is a community-based organization dedicated to advancing the rights, equality, and well-being of migrant workers—also known as Temporary Foreign Workers—across the province. As the first and only organization in Nova Scotia with a mandate to support and advocate for migrant workers’ rights, our work addresses a critical gap in the province’s labour and human rights landscape. Our work is grounded in principles of mutual aid, solidarity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.

Migrant workers face deeply unequal conditions due to their temporary immigration status and restrictive work permits that bind them to a single employer. These systemic barriers have drawn widespread criticism. In 2024, a United Nations official described Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program as “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.”

Despite these challenges, migrant workers continue to organize and assert their rights—and we are proud to support them in doing so. We have helped low-waged and racialized migrant workers achieve meaningful victories in cases involving healthcare access, labour rights, and workers' compensation. Since 2021, we have reached more than 6,000 migrant workers through our support services, outreach initiatives, community events, and rights-based educational programming.

How We Began

Our origins trace back to 2019, when local community members launched No One Is Illegal – Halifax/Nova Scotia, a volunteer-based initiative rooted in solidarity with migrant communities. By 2020, we began direct outreach to migrant farm workers across the province and launched our Migrant Workers Program the following year. Since then, supporting migrant workers has become the core focus of our work.

In 2024, following extensive consultations with migrant workers, staff, board members, and volunteers, we adopted a new name: Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia. That same year, we officially incorporated as a non-profit organization under this name. This transition reflects our deepening commitment to this work and our desire to clearly communicate the purpose and focus of our organization.

Migrant workers often tell us that, for the first time in their many years of coming to Nova Scotia, they now feel there is an organization truly looking out for them. As demand continues to grow—especially from workers across an increasing number of industries—we remain committed to expanding our reach and impact.

We envision a future where migrant workers in Nova Scotia are fully respected, empowered, welcomed, and treated with dignity. Our work continues—alongside migrant workers themselves—toward that vision.