Justicia for Migrant Workers strongly condemns the proposed
regulations introduced by the Federal Conservatives to ‘protect’
temporary foreign workers. These regulations continue the mean
spirited approach of persecuting workers rather than addressing the
structural mechanisms that deny migrant workers the ability to exert rights.

While the legislation announces its intention to publicize
exploitative employers and to deny them access to temporary foreign
workers for a period of two years, J4MW believes migrant workers will
disproportionately bear the burden for speaking out against injustices
and abuses. Migrant workers are punished by the proposed forced
disbarment for a period of six years or more from working in Canada
after four years of cumulative employment, and the denial of their
entry into Canada if their offer of employment is not deemed to be
‘genuine’.

“The Federal Government is playing with semantics through the adoption
of superficial reforms. Abuses and exploitation is inherent in the
structures of Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs” says Evelyn
Encalada Grez, National Organizer for Justicia for Migrant Workers
(J4MW). “The consequences of these regulations will be far reaching in
cementing the status of migrant workers in a perpetual cycle of
precariousness. The government and members of the opposition political
parties have failed these migrant workers and the community groups who
have explicitly described the injustices inherent in the TFWP”
continues Encalada Grez.

The Minister of Immigration is engaging in double speak when he
alleges that these regulations would address human rights violations
faced by migrant workers. The irrational logic of these regulations is
testament to the impact these policy changes will have in entrenching
a permanent workforce that is disposable and discarded when not
needed. While workers are barred after four years, employers however
are free to continue to bring workers from different source countries.
This approach penalizes workers while perpetuating the working and
living conditions that enable the exploitation of Foreign Temporary
workers.

Without addressing the power imbalances that exist with the
continuation of employer-driven programs; the denial of permanent
residency for seasonal agricultural workers and ‘low skilled workers’
and the absence of a legislative framework to address the
international scope of recruitment agencies, any proposed changes will
work against the interests of those whom these regulations purport to
protect. Abuses and violations are endemic and systemic across
indentured labour schemes such as the temporary foreign worker
programs.

Community and labour groups have expressed their opposition to a
meaningless consultation process and a Standing Committee whom also
chose to ignore the far and wide reaching recommendations put forth by
organizations such as Justicia for Migrant Workers. Collectively with
our allies J4MW reiterates the vision that migrant workers have set
forth. Workers need real protection, including permanent resident
status on arrival, equal access to entitlements, a right to full
protection under labour legislation, an end to all fees paid by
migrant workers and end to deportations.

For More Information Please contact Chris Ramsaroop at 647 834 4932 or
chrisramsaroop@gmail.com; www.justicia4migrantworkers.org