PRESS RELEASE
MIGRANTE CANADA
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called for the elimination of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) arguing that it “takes jobs from Canadians who need them most.” At first glance, this may sound like a bold solution to protect local jobs. But let us be clear: scrapping the TFW program without addressing the underlying issues will not solve anything. It will only deepen the exploitation of migrant workers while failing to improve the conditions of Canadian workers.
The real problem is not the presence of migrant workers — it is the system that treats them as disposable. For decades, the TFWP has created a two-tiered workforce: one tier for citizens and permanent residents and another for migrants whose legal and work status is tied to a single employer. This oppressive structure gives employers enormous power and leaves workers vulnerable to violations of labour standards and protections, unsafe working and living conditions, and even abuse. Many workers endure these conditions in silence, knowing that speaking out could mean losing not only their job, but also their right to stay in Canada.
Poilievre’s proposal misses the point. If employers are hiring migrant workers, it is not because migrants are “stealing jobs.” It is because employers exploit the program to drive down wages and weaken labour standards. Eliminating the TFWP without creating permanent, rights-based pathways will not stop this exploitation — it will simply push it workers underground.
Big, significant and essential parts of the Canadian economy rely on migrant labour, especially in agriculture, food processing, care work for elders and children, and construction. Poilievre himself admits this by carving out an exception for farm workers in his plan. But what migrant justice advocates and labour unions have long argued is that these workers must not be treated as second-class workers. If their labour is essential — and it is — then migrant workers deserve the same rights and protections as anyone else.
The solution is straightforward: Canada must recognize the right to work as a fundamental human right. Migrant workers should not have their ability to earn a living tied to a single employer or a temporary permit.
All workers regardless of where they come from must enjoy the same freedoms to change jobs, organize and join unions, and access workplace protections.
This is not only about fairness in the labour market. It is about dignity, equality, and community. The right to work must also mean the right to live free from coercion, to speak up against abuse without fear of deportation, and to build a future with one’s family. ##
For reference:
Chris Sorio, Secretary-General, Migrante Canada
[email protected] | www.migrante.ca | @migrantecanada (Facebook |Instagram)