A representative for Amnesty International Canada says the country isn’t doing enough to stop the exploitation of temporary foreign workers brought in on visas that keep them tied to one employer.
Ketty Nivyabandi, the group's English section secretary-general, told an event hosted by British Columbia's human rights commissioner Thursday that being at the mercy of one employer allows migrant workers to be exploited to live in overcrowded, unsanitary housing conditions, work in unsafe environments and face emotional abuse.
"These are not exceptions. It's an inherently systemic issue that is really tied to the visa system," she said.
Amnesty International put out a report in January that said Canadian authorities have been aware of abuses in the system for decades but failed to make systemic policy changes or abolish closed work permits.
It said the visas were the most evident root cause of migrant workers’ labour exploitation and discrimination and called on the Canadian government to grant open work permits so migrants can change employers and jobs.
Nivyabandi said allowing migrants to change jobs would place greater scrutiny on the employers to ensure that they adhere to fundamental human rights standards.
Canada has had some version of the temporary foreign workers program since the 1970s, which allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when the government has assessed that qualified Canadians are not available, most commonly in industries like agriculture and food service.
A report by a U.N. special rapporteur last August said the program "serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery."
Nivyabandi said changes Canada has made to the program over the years have been piecemeal, narrow and not systemic enough.
"We haven't seen any sufficient steps that would really mirror the magnitude of what we have reported, the magnitude of what the special rapporteur has reported, and the magnitude of what migrant workers themselves have reported for years," she said.
A statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said issues brought up in Amnesty International's report are "part of current litigation" and therefore the government can't comment.
The statement says temporary foreign workers have the same employment standards, rights, and protections under federal, provincial, and territorial law as do Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
It says Canada has taken steps to improve the system, including with stricter regulations that require employers to provide temporary foreign workers with private health insurance and prohibit employers from charging or recovering recruitment fees.
There are also options that allow some workers to change jobs in limited circumstances.
Nivyabandi said those avenues are often very slow moving, complex and bureaucratic and not designed for people in desperate situations.
The government has also promised to limit the number of workers in the program. Nivyabandi said that's not the solution either.
"Very clearly, what the numbers show us is that the program was designed for a temporary solution, but it's actually a temporary solution to a permanent problem. The number of temporary foreign workers has doubled in the last five years, showing that there is a clear demand," she said.
"So, the solution is not to reduce. The solution is simply to regulate it so that people are able to enjoy their lives and their human rights, and they're able to switch employers."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
