Advocates concerned work permits for temporary foreign workers are tied to individual employers, want Ottawa to change policy to allow open work permits
“So even though they have legal status in Canada … they’re not allowed to work for anybody else,” said Jonathon Braun, staff lawyer at Migrant Workers Centre. “They now don’t have an opportunity to earn an income and many of them are supporting families back home.”
Mr. Cruz said many Mexican workers have been working for the same employer for a long time, but are now unsure whether they will be called back next year and whether they can work for the same employer. ESDC communications officer Saskia Rodenburg said foreign workers with an employer-specific work permit also need to be willing to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a new work permit should they find suitable employment.
Many Mexican workers’ current contracts conclude on Dec. 15, and some had left the country before the flooding. Among those affected by flooding, some preferred to return to Mexico since it’s the end of the season, she noted. The federal government needs “to be more flexible when issuing these work permits,” said Gurcharan Dhillon, who works with Archway Community Services. “This flexibility would protect TFWs to maintain a secure income for themselves and their families, as well as ensuring that Canadians are guaranteed access to the food on our tables.”Mr. Cruz and Mr. Braun said workers could also face barriers when they apply for Employment Insurance.
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