Canadian temporary foreign activist scheme ‘Naturally exploited’: Amnesty | Labor rights news

Montreal Canada – Amnesty International says that Canada has failed to take meaningful action to address systemic abuses in a decades -old foreign activist program, which subjects thousands of laborers to the “naturally exploited” system.

In the 71-Page report released on Thursday, the Rights Group prepared a wide range of misconducts associated with the temporary foreign activist program (TFWP), from wage theft to excessive work hours, racist misuse and violence.

Many violations belong to the “closed” work permits of the workers who bind them to their employers and leave them open for exploitation, said Amnesty. Workers usually do not speak due to fear of rebuke.

“Exploitation, discrimination and misuse are integral features of the temporary foreign activist program, not bugs,” said in a statement, “Ketti Nivyabandi, general secretary of the English -speaking section of Amnesty International Canada, said in a statement.

“Cosmetic changes are not enough. Our leaders should apply the necessary reforms to bring the program to the human rights obligations of Canada – and, ultimately, to respect the rights of the workers. ,

Launched in the 1970s, Canadian foreign activists have increased investigation in recent years in recent years as former and current laborers condemned their treatment.

In 2022, a group of Jamaican workers wrote a letter compared to the conditions on the fields in the most populous province of Ontario, Canada, which was for “systematic slavery”.

A year later, a special synergy by the United Nations stated that TFWP schemes “make migrant workers sensitive to contemporary forms of slavery, as they cannot report abuses without fear of exile”.

‘Like throwing’

Thousands of foreign workers visit Canada every year through TFWP every year, which the government says that the labor market has to be filled.

They work in low-paying industries such as agriculture-in the form of house care on fields or in food-transmission plants-and among other jobs.

In 2021, temporary foreign workers calculated 18 percent of the workforce in the agricultural sector of Canada and 10 percent in the housing and food services sector, in a study released later last year.

Migrant workers – of which have been coming to Canada for many years or decades – there are also limited routes for permanent residence in the country.

“In its current design, TFWP is naturally exploiting,” Amnesty International said in Thursday’s report.

The group also stated that the scheme is “naturally discriminatory, as it reflects examples of discrimination and incompatible effects of human rights violations on racial ‘furnaces’ workers based on its caste, gender, class and national origin.

Mexican activist Francisco, who spoke to Amnesty International using the name pseudonym, said: “The employer gets what he wants, but when (worker) is no longer useful for him … he is just (worker (worker) ) Sends back.

“And I think it’s like throwing nonsense and saying that it is no longer useful.”

Inspection and fine

The Canadian government has previously defended the “closed” work permit, as an essential way to ensure that employers are appointing foreign workers and where they are working.

Last year, amid growing backlash on immigration and a housing crisis, the government also announced a plan to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada, including the TFWP sections.

Meanwhile, the country’s Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Development Canada said in mid -January that it has increased punishment for employers who fail to follow the rules.

The ministry said it conducted 649 inspections between April and the end of September of last year, out of which 11 percent of the employers did non-approval.

It also released $ 1.46m (2.1m Canadian dollars) in the fine and banned 20 employers from TFWP.

“Workers in Canada hope to feel safe and protected in the workplace. This is why we are taking steps to protect temporary foreign workers and to justify bad actors, ”said Steven Macinon, Canadian Employment, Work Force Development and Labor Minister Steven McKinon.

“Employers should follow the rules, and we will continue to take decisive action for the rights and good of the workers by increasing our economy.”

But Amnesty International insisted in his report that TFWP misuse “some unscrupulous employers cannot be held responsible, nor can they be understood as isolated events”.

Instead, the group said that Canada takes responsibility for immigration policies and laws, which have left workers weak.

This urged Canada to proceed from Canada to “narrow, pieces -tinked measures”, including the elimination of “closed” work permits to “change systemic policy changes”.

“This system should be immediately replaced with an open visa system that can completely save racial workers from labor exploitation and discrimination,” said Amnesty.