Press Release: Canada’s TFWP is a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery,” says UN Report

Halifax, Nova Scotia (August 12, 2024) – On August 8, 2024, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery Tomoya Obokata released a long-awaited report from his visit to Canada in 2023. A key area of focus in the report is migrant workers, also known as Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs), who are employed under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

“Canada should end labour migration arrangements that foster exploitation by creating dependency situations that tie workers to their employers and give employers control [over] worker’s housing, health care and migration status. The Special Rapporteur retains the view that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, as it institutionalizes asymmetries of power that favour employers and prevent workers from exercising their rights,” reads an excerpt of the report.

In a statement issued shortly before the report’s release, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault signalled that the Government of Canada would address employer fraud by reducing the number of migrant workers employed in Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller had previously announced that the Government of Canada would be “targeting a decrease in our temporary residents population.”

The report cautioned against such an approach, stating: “The recent policy shift to reduce the number of temporary residents will not address the challenges faced by those who continue to enter through the same programmes.”

The report included recommendations such as the following: ending the use of closed work permits which tie migrant workers to a specific employer; a clear pathway to permanent residency upon arrival for migrant workers; and ensuring that all migrant workers have equitable access to health care from the time of their arrival, without discrimination or interjurisdictional inequities.

“Everyday in our work, we see the vulnerability faced by migrant workers due to closed work permits, temporary immigration status and lack of access to public healthcare coverage. Eight Mexican migrant workers in the seafood processing sector were recently successful in a case against their former employer for violations of the labour code. But most migrant workers are fearful to speak out due to the risks of reprisals they face, because the cards are stacked against them. We urge the Government of Canada to immediately enact the recommendations outlined in the UN report to ensure safe and dignified living and working conditions for all migrant workers,” said Stacey Gomez, Executive Director of the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia.

According an analysis by the Government of Nova Scotia, 2,909 Temporary Foreign Workers were employed in the province’s agricultural industries, as well as food and beverage manufacturing in 2023. Nova Scotia is among the provinces which “have markedly higher shares of temporary foreign workers in agriculture compared to other provinces.”