An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says, "Felipe [not his real name], from Mexico, worked with a tied visa for one employer on an animal farm for four years since 2017. From 2019 to 2020, his employer stopped remunerating him for work done on Sundays. Despite this, he returned to Canada in March 2022 to work for another season, as his employer promised that his outstanding wages would be paid. However, in 2022 his employer did not pay him his salary in a regular and timely manner. Felipe was the only worker on a farm, and he was in charge of approximately 250 animals. He also told Amnesty International he worked every day, Monday to Sunday, between 12-14 hours per day, and said his employer left the corpses of dead animals in an area of the farm adjacent to where he was working for three months. He also lived in his employers house without a room, with no privacy, fostering "psychological abuse and control".
Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time
,
Denial of leave
,
Wage Theft
,
Access to Non-Judicial Remedy
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
,
プライバシー
,
メンタルヘルス
,
威嚇及び脅迫
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says "Five Guatemalan people who worked for the same employer in Alberta consistently reported that they were paid by piece rather than by hour as their contract indicated, and they were not paid adequately by piece. They had irregular payments, and one individual reported that he received no payment for 15 days of work."
その他
Not Reported (
Sector not reported/applicable
)
- Employer
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says: "José was carrying out a variety of tasks for which he was not contracted, and was also asked to carry out illegal actions such as dumping old paint into sewers. The company did not train him for several tasks that were outside the occupation he was hired for, carpenter, like working at heights, concrete forming or traffic control, which he was required to do. His employer provided him with bogus certificates to indicate he had been trained for them when he had not."
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Contract Substitution
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says: "Carlos, a man from Guatemala, worked on a maple farm in Quebec, and had to bear freezing temperatures in winter. However, he lacked the equipment and clothing to protect him from the cold. The boots provided by his employer and which he used for three years, had a hole in the sole. In one instance, Carlos slipped on the ice, hurting his back, an accident he believes was at least in part due to the bad condition of his boots. His employer ordered him to keep working. The next day, he was in acute pain and could not move. He asked his employer to take him to see a doctor, but the employer refused. He rested for seven days without any medical care, during which time he alleges he was not paid." Further, the report says that "for two and a half months, his employer deducted CAD$100 from his salary on a weekly basis to pay a total of CAD$1000 for medical expenses."
The worker also reported verbal abuse from his employer, including being told to go back to "his own" country and racist abuse. He also experienced physical violence.
その他
Not Reported (
農業及び畜産
)
- Employer
関連
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
移住者・移民労働者: (
Number unknown
- グアテマラ
, 農業及び畜産
, Men
, Documented migrants
)
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says Gabrielle, a Jamaican national working in Canada with a SAWP permit, was employed on a cherry farm in British Columbia. She appears to have been illegally transferred to another farm, without her consent. One day, her employers took her with a group to a “neighbour’s farm” to work on apple trees. The workers had to scale tall ladders perched on muddy soil and climb into the trees to reach the top. After her ladder slipped on the mud, Gabrielle fell out of the tree. The ladder also fell on top of her. She was severely injured as a result."
The worker also reported poor living conditions & racialised verbal abuse. She was prohibited from leaving the farm or accepting prisoners. They were forced to grocery shop late at night.
その他
Not Reported (
農業及び畜産
)
- Employer
関連
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
移住者・移民労働者: (
Number unknown
- ジャマイカ
, 農業及び畜産
, Women
, Documented migrants
)
課題
人種/民族/カースト/オリジン差別
,
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
,
威嚇及び脅迫
,
傷害
,
Restricted mobility
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Restricted mobility
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says: "Henry, a Guatemalan national who arrived in Canada in 2019 to work as an agricultural worker on a dairy farm, was called upon by his employer to handle agricultural machinery. The employer moved Henry from one kind of task to another at his discretion. Henry performed different jobs, such as filling the maize silos, cutting down trees with a saw - a task he was not trained for - clearing a vast field of stones by lifting and carrying them himself in extreme weather conditions, with temperatures below 0° Celsius or under the sun in extreme heat, and ultimately, fixing the farm water drainage, which resulted in a severe work accident."
The report also says that Henry reported he was never provided with protective equipment by his employer. While digging a hole at work, the hole collapsed on him. When he emerged, his employer left him on the ground despite Henry begging to be taken to hospital. After his colleagues took him, he found out his pelvis was broken and that part of his body was paralysed.
From September 2022 to June 2024, Henry was living and rehabilitating in a long-term care home. He suffers from chronic pain and profound implications on his personal and daily life.
The worker said he was threatened with deportation, at times violently.
その他
Not Reported (
農業及び畜産
)
- Employer
関連
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
移住者・移民労働者: (
Number unknown
- グアテマラ
, 農業及び畜産
, Men
, Documented migrants
)
課題
傷害
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
医薬品へのアクセス
,
傷害
,
Heat exposure
,
威嚇及び脅迫
,
殴打及び暴力
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Access to Non-Judicial Remedy
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
Sylvie and Hélène, two Ivorian nationals working in a nursing home with a two-year visa under the TFWP, told Amnesty they had to pay their employer CAD$500 per month for accommodations and CAD$100 for transport, despite the transport being inadequate for them.
They did not have fixed schedules, had to do split shifts and were forced to work overtime by their employer. They claimed this happened only to Black staff, most of them Ivorian. When one of the workers complained, her request was ignored and the worker was threatened with deportation. The worker s also had to sign documents before travelling to Canada
committing to pay the recruitment fees incurred by the recruitment agency in Ivory Coast and by the employer in Canada, in case they failed to comply with their “commitments”, including not being pregnant at the time of departure, and not abandoning the employment because of pregnancy.
Irregular Work
,
Mandatory overtime
,
人種/民族/カースト/オリジン差別
,
Wage Theft
,
Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time
,
Access to Non-Judicial Remedy
,
威嚇及び脅迫
,
妊娠に関する差別
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
Ismail, a Tunisian migrant industrial painter on the TFWP, said his employer obliged him and his co-worker to move to a house that belonged to the employer’s father and pay CAD$400/month each, despite the house being in poor condition. When Ismail’s co-worker died, following months of intense work, his employer obliged him to pay his former co-worker's rent too, amounting to $800 monthly for accommodation. His employer did not
provide him with adequate protective equipment. The mask provided by his employer was in a poor state and did not cover his entire face. As a result, he was exposed to chemical substances, which he claimed damaged his eyes.
その他
Not Reported (
建設
)
- Employer
関連
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
移住者・移民労働者: (
Number unknown
- チュニジア
, 建設
, Men
, Documented migrants
)
課題
Occupational Health & Safety
,
傷害
,
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
Jordan, a migrant greenhouse worker in Canada from a Caribbean State hired under the Agricultural stream said his employer would prevent him from taking breaks; and worked over 12 hour workdays with no days off. He was unable to eat or drink appropriately while working, or even use the toilet facilities. The worker also reported that the workers were not allowed to wear gloves when picking tomatoes in the greenhouse where he was employed, and the chemicals used on the plants gave them skin rashes. They were not informed about what chemicals were used. He also stated that chemicals would be sprayed at regular intervals in the greenhouses when staff were working, and they were not given any respiratory protection though many workers complained about the impact on their breathing. He and others suffered from respiratory ailments and excessive coughing.
Denial of leave
,
食の権利
,
水へのアクセス
,
Occupational Health & Safety
,
Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time
,
傷害
,
情報へのアクセス
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says "Daniel, a Mexican welder who travelled to Canada with a three-year permit under the High Wage stream of the TFWP had significant amounts deducted from his salary by his first employer, in breach of applicable legislation. Upon his arrival in Canada, his employer provided him with a list of expenses which amounted to CAD$5,241.158 The document listing the expenses included the plane ticket, hotel during the Covid-19 quarantine period after his arrival, transport to the company and car insurance, winter car tyres, medical insurance, and medical expenses the employer incurred when he had to go to the hospital - despite having deducted the cost of private insurance too. Daniel earned between CAD$380 and CAD$540 weekly as a result of unlawful deductions, despite working 40 hours per week and the fact his contract stipulated a salary of CAD$20 per hour".
その他
Not Reported (
Sector not reported/applicable
)
- Employer
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says: "Santiago (not his real name), a Mexican man who travelled to Canada under the SAWP in three different years to work for the same employer, used to work 10-hour or even longer days during the harvest. However, he reported not being paid overtime. To avoid paying overtime, his employer changed schedules arguing hours were deducted from an “hour bank”, despite not being authorized to stagger hours or having an averaging agreement. Additionally, the employer only compensated him for the collection of vegetables, despite requiring him to also be a driver for other workers."
Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time
,
Wage Theft
回答
見解が求められた : いいえ
情報源のタイプ: NGO
要約
Date Reported: 2025年1月30日
場所:
カナダ
An Amnesty International report describes abuse in Canada's temporary migrant worker schemes. It says: "José, a Mexican national hired to work in Canada under the High Wage stream of the TFWP, was offered a position by a construction company, which promised him he would be paid the salary he requested, CAD$35 per hour net. The company then hired him as a carpenter, an occupation below his qualifications, and paid him CAD$25 per hour. He complained, and the director told him he would receive the additional money in cash - CAD$10 - but the company only paid him CAD$6 in cash. He was required to work starting at 5:30am, loading construction materials into the van and driving other co-workers, but he could not log his work hours until 7:00am. His contract stated that he would be paid an overtime rate for hours above the contractual week, but he never received this pay, and instead, the employer would “credit” his overtime to regular hours the following week, despite not having an averaging agreement."
その他
Not Reported (
建設
)
- Employer
関連
Total individuals affected:
Number unknown
移住者・移民労働者: (
Number unknown
- メキシコ
, 建設
, Men
, Documented migrants
)
課題
Contract Substitution
,
Access to Non-Judicial Remedy
,
Wage Theft
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programme (TFWP) is designed in a way that facilitates shocking abuse and discrimination of migrant workers, Amnesty International said in a new report today.
The report, ‘Canada has destroyed me’: Labour exploitation of migrant workers in Canada, exposes the impact of the TFWP, which allows employers to hire migrant workers, primarily for low-paid jobs, across various sectors, including agriculture, food processing, the care system, construction and hospitality. TFWP visas tie workers to a single employer who controls both their migration status and labour conditions.
People who currently employed or have worked under the programme told Amnesty International that, after arriving in Canada, they were forced to work long hours without rest and received lower pay than agreed. they were often assigned tasks not included in their contract and suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Many of them worked in unsafe conditions, lacked access to adequate housing and healthcare, and faced discrimination in the workplace. Most of them were unable to access effective remedies for the abuses they endured.
“The abuse experienced by migrant workers in Canada is deeply troubling, especially for a country that claims to be a leader when it comes to protecting human rights,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International...