Temporarily Exploited

1078 Words3 Pages

Each year over 30,000 foreign workers migrate to Canada on a temporary basis, which means that every year more and more foreign workers are at risk of being exploited by their employers (Pysklywec 1039). The large amount of foreign workers migrating to Canada and taking the jobs of Canadians has been known to most of the public as the major issue on the topic of temporary foreign workers. However, for a change, the perspective of foreign workers is what these people need to see. The mistreatment foreign workers endure should be brought to the attention of the federal government and people who oppose the migration of foreign workers in Canada, and by recognizing the harsh living conditions, issues at the workplace such as labouring hours, payment withholds, and poor working conditions, and the struggle with language barriers, it is evident that with all of these impediments, foreign workers are at risk of developing major health concerns. When a foreign worker migrates to Canada, in certain circumstances, the employer will offer provided housing as part of an enticement to further encourage the worker to become an employee at his or her business. However, as reported in many cases, there have been various issues with the living conditions provided since there is no obligation to uphold the standard conditions of living. As stated by Kerry Preibisch and Jenna Hennebry, “some housing is dilapidated, unsanitary, overcrowded, and poorly ventilated” (1035). In 2012, Eric Flores had migrated from Mexico to Canada to become a temporary employee at a Tim Hortons’ franchise. Little did he know, his living accommodations provided by his employer would be a three bedroom basement suit where he would stay with five other foreign workers. A mic... ... middle of paper ... ...on et métropoles, 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Mcgowan, Gil. "Ripping Off Vulnerable Foreign Workers." Edmonton Journal 29 Jul. 2013. ProQuest. Web. 20 Nov. 2013 Nakache, Delphine, and Paula J Kinoshita. "The Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Do Short-Term Economic Needs Prevail Over Human Rights Concerns?" IRPP Study.5 (2010): 1-52. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Pang, Melissa, Library of Parliament. Temporary Foreign Workers. 2011-11-E (2013). Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Preibisch, Kerry, and Jenna Hennebry. "Temporary Migration, Chronic Effects: The Health of International Migrant Workers in Canada." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 183.9 (2011): 1033-8. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Pysklywec, Michael, et al. "Doctors within Borders: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Migrant Farm Workers in Canada." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 183.9 (2011): 1039-43. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.

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