Open Letter Text:
The Honourable Marc Miller, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Dear Minister,
As leaders of Christian charities, churches, and local congregations, our faith compels us to uphold the dignity of workers. That is why we are calling for urgent action to immediately abolish the closed work permit system for migrant workers.
Migrant workers coming through the low-wage Temporary Foreign Worker Program perform essential work in many industries and are important members of our communities. At the height of the COVID pandemic, they sustained our economy and ensured Canadians had food on their plates. Yet many experience verbal abuse, sexual harassment, workplace injuries, inhumane living conditions, and exploitation.
These injustices are a direct result of the closed work permit system and a lack of accessible pathways to permanent residency. This has been well documented by research, reports, and even Canadian Parliamentary Committees. Closed work permits embed unequal power structures in which workers are beholden to the decisions of their employer, whom they cannot disobey for fear of losing their jobs and being deported home. The most recent criticism comes from the UN Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. In his final report, the Rapporteur condemns the use of the closed work permit system because it “makes migrant workers vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery, as they cannot report abuses without fear of deportation.”
The Canadian government has taken some piecemeal measures to address the well documented violations of migrant workers’ rights, such as increased inspections of employers, an anonymous tip line, and the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers Program (OWPVW). None of these has changed the fundamental vulnerability of migrant workers to systemic abuse by employers in a closed work permit system.
Transformative and lasting solutions are needed. Sectoral or region-restricted work permits are unacceptable alternatives, as any work permit system that makes the right to earn a living dependent on maintaining a relationship with a specific employer or group of employers places a worker in a condition of servitude. Restrictive permits would continue to have a negative impact on job opportunities, wages, and working conditions both for migrant workers and non-unionized Canadian workers.
Migrant workers are an essential part of our communities. Until they can freely change employers and access permanent residency, they will be forced to endure exploitative and unsafe working conditions.
We respectfully call on this government to:
1. Replace closed work permits with unconditional open work permits.
2. Open barrier-free pathways to permanent residency for all migrant workers (regardless of wage level or occupation).
Sincerely,
Collaborative Network to End Exploitation
Leah Watkiss, Chair
Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
Sue Wilson, Executive Director of Office for Systemic Justice for the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
Canadian Augustinian Centre for Social Justice
Brian Dwyer, Director
Anglican Diocese of Toronto
Elin Goulden, Social Justice & Advocacy Consultant
Mary Ward Centre for Education, Spirituality and Justice
Audrey Ferrer, Director
Loretto Sisters Canada
Mary Mallany, Leadership
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Rev. Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop
Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto
Georgette Gregory, Congregational Leader
Canadian Jesuits International
Jenny Cafiso, Executive Director
Sisters of Service of Canada
Mary-Ellen Francoeur, Peace and Justice Ministry
Our Lady's Missionaries
Frances Brady, Community Animator
Mouvement Laudato Si' Movement – Canada
Agnes Richard, National Coordinator
Providence Centre for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
Bridget Doherty, Executive Director
Congregation de Notre Dame
Ona B. Bessette, Congregation Leader
Ursuline Sisters of Chatham
Theresa Mahoney, Community Leader
Congrégation des Soeurs de la Charité de Saint-Louis
Piché Alberte, Supérieure générale
Soeurs du Bon-Pasteur de Québec
Gagné Lise, Supérieure générale
Missionnaires Oblates de St Boniface
Cécile Fortier, Supérieure générale
Soeurs de la Charité d'Ottawa
Rachelle Watier, Supérieure générale
Sisters of Charity Halifax
Margaret Fitzpatrick, Congregational Leader
Service jésuite des réfugiés – Canada
Norbert Piché, Directeur
Diocese of London
Joe Bezzina, Director of Pastoral Services
KAIROS
Leah Shifferaw, Migrant Justice Team Lead
Sisters of Mercy Sister
Diane Smyth, Congregational Leader
Institut Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil de Montréal
Gisèle Turcot, SBC Supérieure générale
Le Centre Oblat - A Voice for Justice
Joe Gunn, Executive Director
Soeurs de la Providence
Alba Letelier, Leder Congrégationnelle
Toronto United Mennonite Church
Sadie Martin, Volunteer, Mission & Service Committee
Citizens for Public Justice
Emilio Rodriquez, Policy Analyst, Refugee & Migrants Rights
Becoming Neighbours
Fr. Peter McKenna, SCJ, Ministry Director