New Foreign Workers ‘Blacklist’ Sparks Controversy

Embassy Magazine – September 1, 2010 Anca Gurzu While new rules to shield foreign workers from exploitation are welcome, immigration lawyers worry that a plan to publicly “blacklist” allegedly dishonest employers lacks details and could lead to lawsuits. There are also concerns that introducing an expiration date on working permits will unfairly impact low-skilled workers. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced the new measures two weeks ago, and they will come into effect in April. The changes were prompted by increasing concerns and complaints over the exploitation of foreign workers, especially live-in caregivers. There were no previous measures in the regulations that could hold employers accountable for their treatment of foreign employees. Under the new rules, which were published in the Canada Gazette, the government’s official publication, employers who are “found to have provided wages, working conditions or an occupation that was not substantially the same as what was offered” in…