Is Canada’s migrant worker scheme a breeding ground for modern slavery? UN says so

A damning United Nations report has dubbed Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as a breeding ground for modern slavery.

The program is designed to meet the labour demands in sectors such as agriculture and caregiving. However, it ties workers’ legal status to their employers.

This employer-specific arrangement creates a significant power imbalance, making it difficult for workers to report exploitation or abuse without risking deportation.

Horrific condition of migrant workers

The low-wage temporary foreign worker stream in Canada has grown from 15,817 in 2016 to 83,654 in 2023.

Migrant workers under the TFWP are often subject to poor working conditions, limited access to healthcare, and inadequate legal protections. The programme’s structure prevents workers from freely changing employers, effectively trapping them in exploitative situations, the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said.

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This dynamic is further exacerbated by debt bondage, where workers incur significant debts to third-party recruiters, leaving them financially vulnerable and desperate to retain their jobs at any cost.

Moreover, the lack of access to federal settlement services means that migrant workers are often unaware of their rights and have limited means to seek help. Many are isolated from civil society organisations that could provide support, leaving them at the mercy of their employers.

Lax regulatory environment

The situation is worsened by a lack of comprehensive oversight and enforcement. Reports indicate that a significant portion of inspections are virtual, and unannounced visits are rare, particularly in sectors such as caregiving. This lax regulatory environment allows employers to neglect their responsibilities, knowing that the risk of being caught is minimal.

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While the Canadian government has made some efforts to reform the TFWP, critics argue that these measures do not go far enough.

Canadian minister says reform needed

Canada’s temporary foreign worker program is not fatally flawed but is “in need of reform,” the country’s immigration minister told Reuters on Tuesday (August 13).

The low-wage temporary foreign worker stream, especially, “is one that we need to take a more careful look at,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said.

Earlier this month, Miller had said that Canada plans to unveil a suite of measures to reduce temporary immigration amid a worsening housing situation and an affordability crisis that have led to rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.

With inputs from Reuters