Migrant workers in Canada have encountered alarming levels of abuse and discrimination while participating in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), as highlighted in a recent report by Amnesty International.
The report, released on Thursday, critiques the framework of Canada’s TFWP, which permits employers to recruit migrant laborers for predominantly low-wage positions across various industries, including agriculture, food processing, construction, and hospitality.
Amnesty International asserts that these workers are particularly susceptible to mistreatment due to “harmful provisions” within the program, such as closed work permits that bind workers to a single employer, who exerts control over both their immigration status and working conditions.
The organization conducted interviews with 44 migrant workers from 14 different countries, primarily from what it refers to as the Global South. Many of these workers reported instances of unpaid wages and excessive working hours, with some contracts indicating no designated rest days.
Numerous workers reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace, often being assigned the most physically demanding tasks. Several individuals recounted suffering serious injuries or developing health issues as a result of hazardous working environments.
One individual from Cameroon, named Bénédicte, recounted her experience of enduring racist psychological and sexual abuse from her employer while on a two-year closed work permit at a farm.
After departing the farm in July 2018, her employer revoked her work permit, leaving Bénédicte in a state of irregular migration. “I did not expect to be a slave here,” she expressed to Amnesty.
Another worker shared his experience of facing “severe forms of control” from his employer.
Miguel, a Guatemalan migrant worker holding a two-year visa under the TFWP, reported to Amnesty that he was subjected to threats and constant surveillance. He revealed that his employer confiscated his passport and installed cameras in both his living quarters and the garage where he worked.
“The abuse faced by migrant workers in Canada is profoundly concerning, particularly for a nation that positions itself as a leader in human rights.”