The Gentleman Report
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Migrant employees in Canada were uncovered to “surprising abuse and discrimination” whilst operating beneath the rustic’s Transient International Employee Program (TFWP), in keeping with a brand new file by way of Amnesty Global.
Within the file printed Thursday, Amnesty criticized the construction of Canada’s TFWP, which permits employers to rent migrant employees for essentially low-paid jobs throughout sectors together with agriculture, meals processing, development, and hospitality.
The human rights group mentioned laborers had been liable to abuse via “destructive provisions” in this system, together with closed paintings lets in that tie employees to a unmarried employer who controls each their migration standing and exertions stipulations.
Amnesty interviewed 44 migrant employees from 14 nations for the file, predominantly from what it termed the World South, with maximum employees reporting unpaid wages and over the top hours. Some employees advised Amnesty their contracts stipulated 0 relaxation days.
Many employees mentioned they suffered discrimination at paintings, together with being tasked with the toughest bodily jobs. Some employees mentioned they suffered critical accidents or advanced scientific stipulations because of unsafe operating stipulations.
One girl from Cameroon, Bénédicte, advised Amnesty she had suffered racist mental and sexual abuse by the hands of her employer whilst operating on a two-year closed paintings allow on a farm.
After leaving the farm in July 2018, her employer canceled her paintings allow, leaving Bénédicte with an abnormal migration standing. “I didn’t be expecting to be a slave right here,” she advised Amnesty.
Some other employee advised Amnesty he confronted “critical types of regulate” by way of his employer.
Miguel, a Guatemalan migrant employee with a two-year visa beneath the TFWP, advised Amnesty he used to be threatened and surveilled. He mentioned his boss confiscated his passport and positioned cameras within the container the place he lived and the storage the place he labored.
“The abuse skilled by way of migrant employees in Canada is deeply troubling, particularly for a rustic that says to be a pacesetter in relation to protective human rights,” Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director for analysis, advocacy, coverage and campaigns at Amnesty Global, mentioned.
Amnesty additionally mentioned many employees reported residing in insufficient housing stipulations, with a couple of announcing they didn’t have consuming water of their lodging.
An reputable at Amnesty Global Canada, Ketty Nivyabandi, referred to as on Canada’s leaders to enforce reforms to “deliver this system in step with Canada’s human rights duties – and, in the end, to admire the rights of employees.”
The Canadian executive advised The Gentleman Report it used to be acutely aware of the Amnesty file.
“The federal government of Canada takes the security and dignity of brief international employees very significantly and has been taking robust motion to give protection to employees,” mentioned Nancy Caron, the spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
“Whilst in Canada, brief international employees have the similar employment requirements, rights, and protections beneath federal, provincial, and territorial legislation as do Canadian electorate and everlasting citizens.”
She added the federal government used to be “ceaselessly taking steps to make stronger its brief international employee methods,” together with methods to lend a hand employees download non-public medical insurance, a tip line to file wrongdoing, and “open paintings lets in” to permit brief international employees to modify employers.