Montreal, Canada – Canada has failed to take meaningful measures to address systemic violations for decades Foreign Workers ProgramAmnesty International says exposing thousands of workers to a “exploitative” system.

In a 71 -page report issued on Thursday, the law group has set a wide range of violations related to the TFWP Foreign Dean program, from the theft of wages to excessive working hours, racist abuse and violence.

Amnesty said that many violations are linked to the “closed” work permits for workers, which link them with their owners and leave them open to exploitation. Usually workers do not speak due to fear of revenge.

“Exploitation, discrimination and abuse of use from integral, not errors, for the temporary foreign workers program,” Kitty Nevibandy, Secretary -General of the English -speaking Great, said in a statement.

“Cosmetic changes are not enough. Our leaders must implement the reforms required to make the program in line with human rights obligations in Canada – and in the end, respect for workers’ rights.”

Foreign workers’ programs were launched in the 1970s, and they were exposed to the programs of foreign workers in Canada Increase the audit In recent years, former and current workers have been treating them.

In 2022, a group of workers from Jamaica wrote a letter Similar to the circumstances On the farms in Ontario, the most populous Canada province, to “systematic slavery”.

After a year, the United Nations He said a special relationship TFWP plans “make migrant workers vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery, as they cannot report violations without fear of deportation.”

“Like throwing garbage”

Tens of thousands of foreign workers come to Canada every year through TWWP, which the government says aims to fill the gaps in the labor market.

They work in low-wage industries such as agriculture-including farms or food processing factories-and home caregivers, among other jobs.

In 2021, temporary foreign workers accounted for 18 percent of the workforce in the agricultural sector in Canada and 10 percent in the residence and food services sector, study It was released late last year.

Migrant workers – many of whom are coming to Canada for years or even contracts – also have Limited paths To permanent residence in the country.

“In its current design, TFWP is in nature,” Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday.

The group also said that the scheme “discriminatory by its nature, because it establishes the cases of discrimination and impacts that are not appropriate to human rights violations on” racist “workers on the basis of their race, gender, class and national origin.

“The employer gets what he wants, but when [the worker] He is no longer useful for him … he is simply sent [the worker] behind.

“And I feel that it is like getting rid of garbage and saying it is no longer useful.”

Inspections and fines

The Canadian government had previously defended the “closed” work permits as a necessary measure to ensure that any of the employees who employ foreign workers and where they work.

Last year, amid an increasing violent reaction to the immigration and the housing crisis, the government also announced plans to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada, including those that exist. TFWP flows.

At the same time, Canada’s social employment and development said in mid -January that it has increased the sanctions of employers who fail to comply with the rules.

The ministry said that it had conducted 649 searches between April and the end of September last year, and 11 percent of them found employers who were not compatible.

It also issued $ 1.46 million (2.1 million Canadian dollars) in fines and banned 20 employers from TFWP.

“Canada’s workers deserve and expect to feel safe and protect at the workplace. For this reason we take steps to increase the protection of temporary foreign workers and hold bad actors accountable,” Stephen McCainon saidCanadian Minister of Labor, Manpower Development and Labor.

“Employers must follow the rules, and we will continue to take decisive measures to protect the rights and well -being of workers with the development of our economy.”

But Amnesty International stressed in its report that TFWP violations “cannot be attributed to a few inevitable employers, and they cannot be understood as isolated accidents.”

Instead, the group said that Canada is responsible for the immigration policies and laws that left weak workers.

Canada urged to overcome “narrow measures and retail” to make “changes in regular policy”, including canceling “closed” work permits.

“This system must be replaced urgently with an open visa system that can fully protect racist workers from exploiting work and discrimination.”