Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has acknowledged the need for significant reforms to the country’s temporary foreign worker program following a critical United Nations report. The report labeled the program a “breeding ground for modern slavery,” citing issues such as wage suppression, abuse, and lack of access to healthcare for workers.
While Miller dismissed the slavery characterization as “inflammatory,” he emphasized the importance of addressing the abuses that do occur within the program. The low-wage stream of the program, in particular, has come under scrutiny for contributing to wage suppression and exploitation of workers.
The number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has surged in recent years, with the low-wage stream seeing substantial growth. Labour Minister Randy Boissonnault is considering stricter regulations, including potentially refusing to process applications in this stream if abuses persist.
Economists and experts have called for the elimination of the low-wage stream, arguing that it inherently suppresses wages and exploits workers. The UN report suggested that providing a pathway to permanent residency for temporary workers could mitigate their vulnerability.
Miller has indicated that Canada plans to introduce measures to reduce temporary immigration, in response to housing and affordability crises that have fueled anti-immigrant sentiment. However, he stressed that the focus should remain on reforming the program to protect workers while ensuring fair treatment by employers.