Allegations of abuse within Canada’s temporary foreign worker program

Guest: Syed Hussan, the executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change

Crowded bunkhouses. Rat-infested food. Verbal abuse and threats of termination. These are among the allegations made by Jamaican migrant workers on two farms hours from Canada’s biggest city. The allegations were made earlier this month in an open letter to Jamaica’s Ministry of Labour. They are unproven, but critics say they are not surprising. The Star reached out to the two farms named in the letter, who both dispute the allegations. Our guest, Syed Hussan, Executive Director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, says the problem is larger than a few employers. He joins “This Matters” to discuss the allegations and the changes he says should be made to Canada’s seasonal agricultural worker program.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon

Audio Sources: CBC and Global News