Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - May 2010
A new study is warning policy-makers about the possible long-term effects that aggressive temporary worker recruitment could have on Canada�s socioeconomic landscape.
Three years ago, for the first time in the nation�s history, Canada accepted more temporary than permanent foreign workers into the country. The massive shift in policy has coincided with vast economic growth that has left many employers struggling to find the workers they need to remain in business.
However, critics have long been expressing concern over the effects that such a policy shift could have in the long term, and a new study by the Institute for Research on Public Policy is echoing that concern.
�Being a temporary foreign worker gives you less legal status than a permanent resident,� said professor Delphine Nakache, co-author of the new study, comparing the situation to eras in Europe�s recent history that cause social unrest. �You can�t benefit from training or language services. You cannot benefit from all settlement services ... If you�re not happy at a job or in the hands of an abusive employer you may well find it harder to move jobs.�
Immigration critic Olivia Chow of the New Democratic Party echoes these criticisms. She argues that too many temporary foreign workers can drive down wages, which is detrimental to the entire workforce.
�Being a temporary foreign worker gives you less legal status than a permanent resident,� said Chow. �You can�t benefit from training or language services. You cannot benefit from all settlement services ... If you�re not happy at a job or in the hands of an abusive employer you may well find it harder to move jobs.�
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says that such statements are exaggerations of exceptions to the rule, and that numerous businesses in Canada genuinely rely on the temporary foreign worker program to fill their labour needs. He says that in many cases workers can qualify for permanent residency through provincial nominee programs and through the Canadian experience class of immigration.
Source: Globe and Mail
