A recent report from UN special rapporteur Tomoya Obokata has highlighted Canada’s temporary foreign worker program as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery. The program, which has seen a significant increase in the number of foreign workers hired in recent years, has been criticized for deep power imbalances, discriminatory practices, and exploitation of workers from the global south.
Workers participating in the program often face debt bondage, emotional and physical abuse, wage theft, hazardous work conditions, and other forms of exploitation. Despite pledges to make changes to the system, advocates like Chris Ramsaroop of Justice for Migrant Workers say little progress has been made to address these issues.
The current system ties work permits to specific employers, preventing workers from seeking better-paying jobs and leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Calls to grant workers permanent resident status have so far been resisted by the federal government, with promises of stricter oversight and sector-specific work permits instead.
Advocacy groups argue that these measures are merely a divide and rule tactic and do not address the root causes of exploitation within the program. They continue to push for systemic changes to end the cycle of abuse and ensure fair treatment of all workers involved.
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