A report from the United Nations has raised serious concerns about Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program, describing it as a “breeding ground for contemporary slavery.” The report highlights systemic issues such as wage theft, physical and verbal abuse, excessive work hours, gender-based exploitation, including instances of sexual abuse, and lack of proper health care and protective equipment. In some cases, such as in British Columbia, female workers were not only forced to work under precarious conditions but also subjected to sexual abuse. The report also emphasized that workers are placed in vulnerable positions due to employer-specific permits, making it difficult for them to report exploitation without risking deportation. The report calls for urgent reforms to prevent further abuse and improve workers’ rights.

UN Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata, who led the investigation, emphasised that Canada must do more to protect the rights of foreign workers, stating that the current system allows for severe exploitation. Furthermore, he stressed the need for the Canadian government to prioritise reforms, including providing clearer pathways to permanent residency for temporary workers. Moreover, other advocates such as Marco Luciano, Director of Migrante Alberta, have echoed these sentiments, pointing out that workers often face a difficult choice between enduring abuse or losing their jobs and being deported. He prefaced that the violations, including sexual harassment and exploitation, are not isolated incidents but systemic across the country. Many of these experts agree that there is a need for more comprehensive oversight, and legal protections are urgently needed to address the vulnerabilities of temporary foreign workers in Canada.

However, Canada’s Federal Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, did express concern about the abuses mentioned in the report but pushed back on the use of the term “slavery,” calling it inflammatory. While this response seems to sidestep full accountability for the human rights violations, Miller did acknowledge that the report raises significant concerns. He agreed that these reforms are essential given the current situation. This acknowledgment signals a willingness to address the violations, even if he disagreed with the language utilised.

The discovery of these violations through the UN report is deeply troubling. While acknowledging the issue is a step in the right direction, Canada’s current response falls short. Marc Miller’s reluctance to use the term “slavery” reflects an unwillingness to fully confront the grave realities of abuse within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. If Canada continues on this path, it risks undermining its global reputation for human rights. These violations are not isolated, yet there is a concerning lack of international outcry, signalling a troubling normalisation of exploitation within Canada’s migration system.

Canada must be held accountable and reform its migration policies to reflect its core values. Immediate, comprehensive reforms are needed, and public pressure must increase to demand these changes. Specifically, Canada should implement stronger oversight, provide better access to resources for foreign workers, and create clearer paths to permanent residency. The points-based immigration system also requires revision to address hidden biases and deceptive practices. Education on rights must be prioritized, ensuring that reporting abuse does not lead to retaliation. Canada must break from its discriminatory past and use migration as an opportunity for growth.

Canada’s troubled history with racism and slavery in the context of work permits and conditions extends beyond the exploitation of African and Indigenous peoples. Chinese labourers who built the transcontinental railway in the 19th century endured brutal working conditions, dangerous environments, and discriminatory policies such as the Chinese Head Tax. Jewish refugees, particularly during World War II, were also denied entry under Canada’s exclusionary immigration policies, famously encapsulated by the phrase “None is too many.” These instances of systemic racism echo in today’s migration policies, where power imbalances and exploitation persist. Acknowledging this historical context is crucial to understanding the mistakes Canada has made and continues to repeat with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

In conclusion, if Canada continues to ignore the systemic exploitation within its Temporary Foreign Worker Program, it risks deepening social divisions and eroding trust in its institutions. Immediate reforms must take place to uphold human rights and foster long-term peace and security, ensuring fairness in migration policies.