Canada: Open work permit a temporary fix that does not prevent abuse, exploitation of migrants

Every year, thousands of migrant workers arrive in Canada to grow, process and prepare our foods. Yet, in July 2024, a United Nations report referred to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as a “breeding ground for contemporary slavery”.

New research from Dalhousie University supports findings from this report. The Master’s research of Alyssa Weeks, one of the authors of this article, demonstrates that stakeholders in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have significant concerns about the TFWP. They call for comprehensive reforms to better protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation.

Researchers have long criticised Canada’s TFWP, especially because migrants’ jobs are tied to employers through closed work permits.

What this means in practice is that migrants are often afraid to speak out against abuse and exploitation because it could mean not only losing their jobs, but also being deported. A recent lawsuit by two temporary foreign workers illustrates this, alleging their lost wages and wrongful termination from a New Brunswick lobster plant.

To address some of these concerns, Canada introduced the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers in 2019. This policy allows immigration officers to grant open work permits to at-risk migrant workers in abusive situations. The permits are valid for up to 12 months and are...

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