Issues outlined in UN report linking temp foreign worker programs to 'slavery' present in Sask.: experts

A scathing United Nations report released last month denounces Canada's temporary foreign worker program as a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery," citing wage theft, excessive work hours, limited breaks and physical abuse as some of the ways workers are being mistreated.

The final report from the UNs' special rapporteur, Tomoya Obokata, on contemporary forms of slavery reiterates his previous comments after a visit to Canada last year. It outlines how the looming threat of deportation can prevent workers from reporting unsafe or exploitative conditions.

Saskatchewan employs temporary foreign workers across various industries, especially in agriculture, which accounts for the most temporary foreign workers across Canada. Experts say conditions in the province are indeed a problem.

Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday he objected to the phrase "contemporary slavery" in reference to the temporary foreign worker program, but still acknowledged the abuses outlined in the report and said they need to stop.

"Any person in Canada, regardless of who they employ, needs to treat people with dignity and respect according to the law," Miller said. "That isn't happening in some sectors that employ temporary foreign workers, and that needs to end."

In the UN report, Obokata — a professor of international human rights law at the University of York in the U.K. — says he received reports of workers being underpaid and going without protective equipment, and of employers confiscating documents, arbitrarily cutting working hours and preventing workers from seeking health care.

"Women reported sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse," the report says.

Ali Abukar, CEO at Saskatoon Open Door Society, agreed that the temporary foreign worker program is putting already vulnerable people in servitude.

Abukar said his organization and others like it on the Prairies have often come across cases of abuse and fraud.

"Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, we're the same as everywhere else," he said.

"We see the same problems: issues of working conditions, access to supports, lack of information, people who might not have one of the official languages in Canada who need interpretation, especially if they are also outside of the urban centres."

He said the problems are even worse in rural Saskatchewan. He said he has seen examples of people being underpaid or denied pay, put through long hours in difficult working conditions and prevented by employers from seeking support.

"They are under the mercy of their employers because they want to become permanent residents. If an employer is trying to exploit that situation, there is that opportunity there."

He said the province should allocate resources for organizations like his that support these vulnerable populations and strengthen the accountability for employers.