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Drawn in and left behind: the plight of temporary foreign workers

Canada has long maintained a reputation as a welcoming haven for immigrants, but recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program raise questions about the country’s true intentions. Rather than fostering a community where newcomers can thrive, it seems Canada is luring migrants into precarious situations, exploiting them for cheap labor and discarding them when they are no longer deemed necessary. 

Changes to the TFW Program

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, established in 1973, was designed to let employers temporarily hire foreign nationals to address workforce shortages.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced significant changes to the TFW Program. The announcement came at a time when anti-immigrant sentiments were growing, fueled by concerns over unemployment and affordable housing. In his address, Trudeau acknowledged the vital contributions of migrant workers to Canada’s economy, particularly in stabilizing the nation post-pandemic. Yet, he simultaneously introduced restrictive policies for low-wage temporary foreign workers in regions with unemployment rates above six per cent, excluding sectors like agriculture, construction and healthcare. The new regulations cap employers to hiring a maximum of 10 per cent of their workforce through the TFW Program, and the duration of low-wage TFW contracts was shortened from two years to one year. 


Randy Boissonnault, minister of employment, workforce development and official Languages, announced that recent changes to the TFW Program would reduce the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers by approximately 65,000, bringing it back to pre-pandemic levels. 

This statement is almost ironic in light of Prime Minister Trudeau’s previous praise for the essential role TFWs played in reviving Canada’s economy post-pandemic. Now that the economy has stabilized, the government’s plan to reduce their numbers reveals an exploitative strategy where Canada benefits from these workers during times of need, only to discard them once they are no longer deemed necessary. These measures suggest a view of temporary foreign workers as replaceable labour and signals a lack of long-term commitment to these workers.

Working conditions: modern-day slavery?

Many temporary foreign workers in Canada endure conditions that can only be described as exploitative. Their “temporary” status not only limits their long-term stake in Canadian society but also significantly restricts access to vital services, including healthcare and social safety nets. In industries like agriculture, workers often find themselves living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, laboring long hours in hazardous environments for meager wages. Access to essential services like healthcare poses a significant barrier for migrant workers. In provinces like Nova Scotia, a one-year permit is required for public healthcare coverage, yet migrant workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program can only stay in Canada for a maximum of eight months.

The power imbalance between these workers and their employers exacerbates the situation. Many are bound by contract to a specific employer, making it nearly impossible to change jobs, even when faced with abuse or unsafe working conditions. This “closed work permit” system fosters a master-slave dynamic where employers hold nearly all the power, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation.

During a visit to Canada, Tomoya Obokata, the UN special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, highlighted the dire conditions faced by temporary foreign workers. Reports Obokata received detail issues including excessively long working hours, mandatory extracontractual tasks, exposure to hazardous environments, low pay without overtime compensation and denial of access to healthcare and transportation to medical facilities. Additionally, the reports make clear that workers often face restricted access to social services, including newcomer assistance and language courses, and suffer from sexual harassment, intimidation and violence from both employers and their families.

Obokata emphasized the Canadian government does not effectively inform temporary foreign workers about their rights. Instead, it shifts the responsibility to employers, creating a clear conflict of interest. This lack of proactive information leaves workers susceptible to exploitation, relying on employers who may not have their best interests in mind.

The need for comprehensive reform

The injustices faced by temporary foreign workers are not inevitable. They are the result of policies prioritizing economic gain over human dignity. The UN report has already exposed the human rights violations inherent in the TFW Program. Instead of taking meaningful steps to protect migrant workers, Canada has chosen to reduce their numbers. Migrant workers deserve better. They deserve permanent resident status and equal rights, not to be treated as disposable labor that can be discarded when politically convenient. 

Trudeau has justified these policy reforms as necessary to protect “Canadians,” yet there is little consideration for the thousands of temporary foreign workers who have been welcomed into the country. If Canada truly values its reputation as a welcoming haven for immigrants, it must focus on protecting the rights of all who live and work here, not just Canadian citizens.

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