UN report slams Canada's temporary foreign worker program as ‘breeding ground’ for modern slavery

A recent UN report revealed that Canada's temporary foreign worker program "serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery."

The report on "contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences" by UN's Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata criticized Canada's handling of vulnerable workers and its "colonial legacy" effect on marginalized groups.

"Canada risks failing to live up to its reputation as a global champion of human rights if it does not act more decisively to reform laws and policies that enable the exploitation of vulnerable workers and fail to provide adequate remedy and rehabilitation to victims of exploitation and abuse," said the report, while encouraging stronger laws.

Urging Canada to address the underlying causes of modern slavery, the report called on Canada to "do more to address the systematic, intersecting forms of discrimination those groups continue to face."

Obokata said, "The Temporary Foreign Worker Program serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, as it institutionalizes asymmetries of power that favor employers and prevent workers from exercising their rights."

It noted foreign workers' difficulty in accessing health care, and said: "Despite new regulations, some employers reportedly prevent workers from seeking health care, encouraging them to take painkillers or home remedies instead."

Some workers are denied time off to seek medical care or "fired for doing so."

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Communication Advisor Jeffrey MacDonald reaffirmed to Anadolu on Wednesday Canada's commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of foreign workers.

"Everyone deserves a safe workplace where their rights are respected. We take the safety and dignity of foreign workers seriously," said MacDonald.

He said that "a foreign worker with an employer-specific work permit can apply for an open work permit if they are being mistreated by their current employer" since June 2019.

"The open work permit allows them to get out of these situations quickly and look for new jobs with another employer," MacDonald added.

The report, however, said the open work permit option "does not provide an effective solution."

"While they can technically apply after having left their employers, their employer-specific work permits must remain valid. This is problematic as employers are likely to fire workers for prolonged absence, which can lead to the cancellation of their work permits and few workers have the means to live independently," according to the report.

MacDonald outlined pathways to permanent residency for foreign workers, including the Agri-Food Pilot which seeks to address labor needs in the Canadian agri-food sector, and the Provincial Nominee Program which attracts workers who have skills, education and experience and want to live in a territory or province in Canada.