Amnesty International Condemns Canada’s Failure to Address Exploitation in Migrant Worker Program

Overview

• Amnesty International Canada reiterates that closed work permits are the root cause of exploitation for temporary foreign workers.
• Workers tied to single employers face unsafe work environments, overcrowded housing, and emotional abuse, according to advocates.
• Despite decades of awareness, Canadian authorities have implemented only piecemeal reforms that fail to address systemic issues.
• Recent measures, such as recruitment-fee bans and private health insurance requirements, are criticized as insufficient.
• Calls grow for open work permits to allow migrant workers to change employers and escape exploitative conditions.