Amnesty International has called on the governments of Mexico and Jamaica to better protect their migrant workers and improve their detention systems. This appeal followed a recent review by the United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which took place in early April.
In an official oral statement, Amnesty said both countries should renegotiate their labour agreements with Canada, especially under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The group asked for better protections that would allow migrant workers in Canada to change jobs and employers freely, which is something they currently struggle to do.
Every year, thousands of workers from Mexico and Jamaica travel to Canada through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In 2024, about 26,000 Mexican and 8,000 Jamaican workers were hired to work on Canadian farms for up to eight months. These programs are part of bilateral labour agreements Canada has with many countries.
However, Amnesty International said that many of these migrant workers face serious abuse. Their findings show cases of wage theft, long working hours, unsafe jobs, racial abuse, and constant surveillance. Amnesty believes these are not rare events but are a result of Canada’s immigration policies, especially the rule that ties workers to one employer, which limits their ability to escape bad situations.
Under Article 64 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers, all countries involved must make sure working conditions for migrants are safe, fair, and humane. Amnesty argues that both Mexico and Jamaica should use this as a guide to improve labour agreements and protect their citizens who work abroad.
Alongside Amnesty’s concerns, the Global Detention Project also raised issues about how Mexico and Jamaica handle migrant detention and immigration enforcement. The group asked the UN Committee to investigate Mexico’s Multi-service Centres, how they treat children in detention, and the kind of help released detainees receive.
For Jamaica, the Global Detention Project urged the government to stop detaining non-nationals in prisons and to reveal more information about where and how migrants are being held. They also asked Jamaica to make sure all immigration detentions have a clear legal reason, and to reform its enforcement system.
The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families is made up of 14 independent experts who review how countries respect the International Convention. Mexico and Jamaica are among the countries being reviewed during the Committee’s fortieth session from April 7 to April 17.