A new report by Amnesty International has revealed severe abuse and discrimination faced by migrant workers in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The report, published Thursday, highlights how workers in low-paying sectors such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality are subjected to exploitative conditions, including withheld wages, excessive hours, and lack of rest days.
One major concern is the use of closed work permits, which tie workers to a single employer, leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment. Amnesty interviewed 44 migrant workers from 14 countries, mainly from the Global South. Many shared distressing experiences of abuse, with some saying their employers controlled their migration status and working conditions.
Bénédicte, a migrant worker from Cameroon, recounted experiencing racist, psychological, and sexual abuse from her employer while working on a farm under a two-year permit. When she left the job in 2018, her employer canceled her permit, leaving her in an irregular migration status. “I did not expect to be a slave here,” she told Amnesty.
Another worker, Miguel from Guatemala, described facing constant surveillance and threats from his employer. He said his boss confiscated his passport and installed cameras in his living quarters and workplace. Many workers also reported living in poor housing conditions, with some lacking access to drinking water.
Amnesty’s senior director for research, Erika Guevara-Rosas, criticized Canada’s failure to protect migrant workers, saying the abuse contradicts the country’s reputation as a human rights leader. Amnesty official Ketty Nivyabandi urged the government to reform the program to align with human rights obligations and ensure workers’ rights are respected.
In response, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship spokesperson Nancy Caron said the government takes migrant workers’ safety seriously and has introduced measures such as health insurance programs, a tip line for reporting abuse, and open work permits to allow workers to change employers. However, Amnesty insists that further reforms are needed to address the systemic issues within the TFWP.