Wildfires have not only devastated the landscape, but they have taken a human toll as well. Fortunately for most Canadians, there are social programs that they can fall back on that can somewhat help them pick up the pieces. This however is not the case for migrant workers.
“As history often shows, migrant workers tend to bear the brunt of such tragic events, often without the acknowledgment we deserve,” reads a letter by DIGNIDAD Migrante, an organization of migrant workers that fights for improved conditions for Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs).
DIGNIDAD Migrante submitted this letter to Canadian ministers amidst large evacuations in western Canada due to wildfires. The organization joined a rallying cry for open work permits and expanded Employment Insurance (EI) measures for migrant workers.
As people uprooted their lives, many migrant workers were left with little resources to help them rebuild.
To access regular EI benefits workers are required to have worked between 420 and 700 hours. However, many migrant workers, specifically farm workers, are hired seasonally according to Raul Gatica, assistant to the Board of Directors at DIGNIDAD Migrante.
By the time migrant workers in BC and the Northwest Territories had to evacuate, many of them had only been working at their current place of employment for about 300 hours, Gatica explained.
TFWs tied to one employer
With their job sites burning and no access to regular EI benefits, migrant workers are not even able to turn to new employment to gain income. Many Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW)s have closed work permits, meaning that the worker is only allowed to work for one employer while in Canada. To gain a new job, a worker would need to qualify for and apply to an entirely new work permit.
The wages lost in the interim are sometimes too high for workers to bear. DIGNIDAD Migrante has called for emergency open work permits to ease migrant workers’ difficulties.
“We want open work permits so workers could have the chance to move to another farm or another job,” Gatica said. “There is no reason the government shouldn’t want to do that. One change would mean they will stop allowing modern day slavery. Because now, work permits are the chains that tie workers to abusive employers.”
READ MORE: Navigating Canada’s broken Temporary Foreign Worker program
Without a job, a work permit or EI, many migrant workers make the choice to stay in Canada.
“Returning home is not an option, as it deprives us of the vital income that our
families depend on,” DIGNIDAD Migrante wrote. “Emergency open work permits would grant us the opportunity to secure alternative employment within the country, allowing us to continue assisting our families while also addressing labor shortages in essential industries.”
More medical coverage required
DIGNIDAD Migrante is also calling for all TFWs to be provided coverage under the Medical Services Plan. The organization is saying that coverage should be guaranteed no matter the duration of a worker’s permit and should provide health services to undocumented workers who experience adverse health effects caused by the fires and smoke.
“The provision of Emergency Open Work Permits, Employment Insurance benefits, and Medical Service Plan coverage is not only a compassionate gesture,” DIGNIDAD Migrante wrote, “but also a testament to the value of migrant workers in society.”
This year’s wildfire season was not the start of inequities for migrant workers. But Canada’s tiered society is on full display as injustices within the TFW program are exacerbated by emergencies.
“Farmworkers, instead of being put in appropriate emergency housing are just being shoved onto other farms that are already overcrowded,” said Jonathon Braun, legal director at the Migrant Workers Centre. “There is also an issue around access to services because a lot of things, like shelter and transportation, had to be accessed through online portals. If people don’t have access to a computer, they can’t access them.”
This is an abuse of power, according to Gatica, who said he felt that governments have no legal ground to exclude migrant workers from resources such as EI.
“This situation underscores our collective reality as migrants, where our contributions often go unnoticed, even though we will inevitably play a pivotal role in rebuilding the affected areas,” DIGNIDAD Migrante wrote.
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