Why We All Should Care About Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program
In her article “Why everyone should care about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program”, writer Harsha Wallia links current and historical Canadian complicity in local and global resource extraction on Indigenous lands to the exploitation of racialized labour. She connects colonialism and concepts such as “Terra Nullius” (or Empty Land) – which have had devastating consequences for Indigenous Peoples -with the current problems surrounding Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Wallia explains how societal structures systematically marginalize not only migrant workers but also indigenous communities, homeless people, single mothers, seniors, and people with disabilities. Her article raises some key issues that are largely ignored by main stream media in Canada, including the fundamental human rights of migrant workers and their families, and the systemic and intentional denial of access to permanent residence.
“The denial of permanent residency is precisely what makes migrant labour precarious: it ensures legal control by bosses, which embeds labour exploitability. Migrant workers are extremely vulnerable to employer abuse – including being held captive – since any assertion of their rights can lead to deportation.”
You will find the entire article at this link:
