Legislation on vulnerable temporary foreign workers makes a comeback

The government has decided to reintroduce the legislation which states that it will help in protection of overseas workers from exploitation and abuse.

The government has decided to reintroduce the legislation which states that it will help in protection of overseas workers from exploitation and abuse.

As per the amendments to the Immigration and refugee Protection Act, officials will now be authorized to deny temporary work permits to certain foreign workers, like the strippers or nannies, who they might feel will be victimized when the come to Canada. A bill similar to the present one was introduced in the last parliament as well, but ceased to exist when the October election was finalized.

According to the Conservative government the amendments will provide the ability to immigration officials to check abuse of immigrants before it even takes place.

When the bill was introduced last time, a large number of immigration activists called the bill a slap on the face of temporary foreign workers.

The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants said that the only thing denying work permits to temporary foreign workers would do is punish those workers without any mistake, and said that the bill does not take a single step to penalize Canadian employers who may be involved in exploiting foreign workers.

But the Minister of Labor, Rona Ambrose, holds a completely different opinion and says that the bill will only protect vulnerable foreign workers.

She said in a news release that by checking abuse from taking place at first place, the amendments will further add strength to their agenda of protecting temporary foreign workers.