Employer discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and gaps in government policy put migrant workers at risk of being exploited once they arrive in Canada, according to a report done by the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCEHT) and the FCJ Refugee Centre. .“Migrant workers are essential to the Canadian economy and deserve justice, fairness, and appropriate attention from all levels of the government and employers,” said CCEHT Executive Director Julia Drydyk in a press release. .“Many of them sacrifice time with their families to pursue work in Canada.” .The report said migrant workers’ precarious immigration status makes them vulnerable to exploitation by recruiters and employers. It summarized findings from a series of focus group discussions which convened 77 migrant workers in Ontario in 2022, with the support of Legal Assistance of Windsor. .Some participants said they'd been exploited in their home countries and saw Canada as an opportunity to escape this abuse. They said they were surprised to learn danger exists in Canada. .The report went on to say migrant workers, especially those working in agriculture and low wage sectors, are frustrated by policies which make it difficult to acquire permanent residency and relocate their families to Canada. It added migrant workers’ primary concern was family separation, followed by low wages and employer discrimination. .Migrant workers’ safety was jeopardized due to limited healthcare access and COVID-19 testing and their inability to social distance. .FCJ Refugee Centre Executive Director Loly Rico said migrant workers “help Canada to fill critical labour shortages.”.“With growing demand for new migrant labourers, our concern about their safety and well-being is increasing,” said Rico. .“Unfortunately, existing policies can’t protect landed migrant workers who are already in a precarious situation, and will put new labourers at higher risk of being victim of forced labour, discrimination, and unsafe working conditions.”.The report recommends the Canadian and provincial governments implement additional safeguards to protect migrant workers from being exploited. It called on governments to establish open work permits for all migrant workers. .It said migrant workers should have greater access to information on their labour rights before, during, and after arriving in Canada. There should be increased spending for on-site social services for them, including language training, legal aid, healthcare, and information on labour rights. .“Protecting them from being exploited in our communities should be a top priority for all of us,” said Drydyk. .Employment and Social Development Canada boasted in August it processed a record number of permits for migrant workers, even as auditors warned foreign labour might cost jobs..READ MORE: 'Record' number of migrant worker permits being processed.“Employer demand for the program has significantly increased given the impact of the pandemic on the labour market,” said an Employment and Social Development Canada briefing note. .Applications for permits in the year ending in March increased 22% to a record 68,307.
