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Toronto Sun
16-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Canada hasn't done enough to stop exploitation of foreign workers: Amnesty
Published May 15, 2025 • 1 minute read A temporary foreign worker from Mexico plants strawberries on a farm in Mirabel, Que., Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Photo by Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS A representative for Amnesty International Canada says the country isn't doing enough to stop the exploitation of temporary foreign workers brought in on visas that keep them tied to one employer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Ketty Nivyabandi, the group's English section secretary-general, says being at the mercy of one employer allows migrant workers to be exploited to live in overcrowded, unsanitary housing conditions, work in unsafe environments and face emotional abuse. Amnesty International put out a report in January that said Canadian authorities have been aware of abuses in the system for decades but failed to make systemic policy changes or abolish closed work permits. It said the visas were the most evident root cause of migrant workers' labour exploitation and discrimination and called on the Canadian government to grant open work permits so migrants can change employers and jobs. A report by a UN special rapporteur last August said the temporary foreign worker program in Canada 'serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.' At an online event hosted by British Columbia's human rights commissioner on Thursday, Nivyabandi said changes Canada has made to the program have been too piecemeal, narrow and not systemic enough. 'We haven't seen any sufficient steps that would really mirror the magnitude of what we have reported, the magnitude of what the special rapporteur has reported, and the magnitude of what migrant workers themselves have reported for years,' she said.
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada hasn't done enough to stop exploitation of foreign workers: Amnesty
A representative for Amnesty International Canada says the country isn't doing enough to stop the exploitation of temporary foreign workers brought in on visas that keep them tied to one employer. Ketty Nivyabandi, the group's English section secretary-general, says being at the mercy of one employer allows migrant workers to be exploited to live in overcrowded, unsanitary housing conditions, work in unsafe environments and face emotional abuse. Amnesty International put out a report in January that said Canadian authorities have been aware of abuses in the system for decades but failed to make systemic policy changes or abolish closed work permits. It said the visas were the most evident root cause of migrant workers' labour exploitation and discrimination and called on the Canadian government to grant open work permits so migrants can change employers and jobs. A report by a U.N. special rapporteur last August said the temporary foreign worker program in Canada 'serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.' At an online event hosted by British Columbia's human rights commissioner on Thursday, Nivyabandi said changes Canada has made to the program have been too piecemeal, narrow and not systemic enough. 'We haven't seen any sufficient steps that would really mirror the magnitude of what we have reported, the magnitude of what the special rapporteur has reported, and the magnitude of what migrant workers themselves have reported for years,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada hasn't done enough to stop exploitation of foreign workers: Amnesty
A representative for Amnesty International Canada says the country isn't doing enough to stop the exploitation of temporary foreign workers brought in on visas that keep them tied to one employer. Ketty Nivyabandi, the group's English section secretary-general, says being at the mercy of one employer allows migrant workers to be exploited to live in overcrowded, unsanitary housing conditions, work in unsafe environments and face emotional abuse. Amnesty International put out a report in January that said Canadian authorities have been aware of abuses in the system for decades but failed to make systemic policy changes or abolish closed work permits. It said the visas were the most evident root cause of migrant workers' labour exploitation and discrimination and called on the Canadian government to grant open work permits so migrants can change employers and jobs. A report by a U.N. special rapporteur last August said the temporary foreign worker program in Canada 'serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.' At an online event hosted by British Columbia's human rights commissioner on Thursday, Nivyabandi said changes Canada has made to the program have been too piecemeal, narrow and not systemic enough. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'We haven't seen any sufficient steps that would really mirror the magnitude of what we have reported, the magnitude of what the special rapporteur has reported, and the magnitude of what migrant workers themselves have reported for years,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China executes four Canadians, Ottawa says
March 20 (UPI) -- China has executed four Canadians, according to Ottawa's foreign affairs minister, who condemned Beijing for not heeding their calls for leniency. Little is known about the executions. China's embassy in Ottawa has yet to respond to UPI's request for comment. Melanie Joly, Canada's foreign affairs minister, told reporters on Parliament Hill following a cabinet meeting Wednesday that the four people executed were dual Chinese and Canadian citizens. She said their executions were related to drug charges. "We strongly condemn the executions that did happen against Canadians in China," she said. Joly said she had been following the situation "very, very closely" for months and had personally asked Beijing for leniency, as had former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was still office. "We made sure to press on China how much we needed to make sure that, ultimately, these Canadians would be safe," she said. Teams in Canada and China are supporting the families of those executed, she said, adding, "We will continue to engage with China, as we'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations." She would not say how many other Canadians were facing the death penalty in China, citing requests from their families to keep information private. It was not clear when the executions occurred. China leads the world in executions, according to Amnesty International, which believes Beijing carries out thousands every year. In a statement Wednesday, the international human rights organization chastised Beijing for the executions and praised Ottawa for condemning China's actions while calling on it to do more to protect its citizens abroad "We are devastated for the families of the victims, and we hold them in our hearts as they try to process the unimaginable," Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, said in a statement. "Our thoughts also go to the loved ones of Canadian citizens whom China is holding on death row or whose whereabouts in the Chinese prison system are unknown. They deserve answers and justice, not the sickening worry they have been subjected to because of years of separation and uncertainty." The Canada-China relationship has been publicly fraught for years. In 2018, Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, at the request of the United States, where she was wanted on a slew of charges, including money laundering. China, seemingly in retaliation, arrested two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on espionage charges. However, they were released in September 2021, days after Meng reached a deal with U.S. prosecutors that facilitated her return to China.
Saudi Gazette
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
China executed four Canadians for drug crimes
OTTAWA — Four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed. All of them were dual citizens, and their identities have been withheld upon the request of their families, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly told reporters on Wednesday. She condemned the killings as "irreversible and inconsistent with basic human dignity", adding that she had "asked personally for leniency". A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada said evidence for the Canadian nationals' crimes was "solid and sufficient" and urged Canada to "stop making irresponsible remarks", according to reports. The Chinese embassy also added that Beijing had "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned" and urged the Canadian government to respect "China's judicial sovereignty". China does not recognize dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. Joly said she had been following the cases "very closely" for months and had tried with other officials, including former prime minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions. In a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had "repeatedly called for clemency for these individuals at the senior-most levels and remains steadfast in its opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere". China imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners. The executions revealed this week have sparked criticisms from campaigners. "These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," said Ketty Nivyabandi from Amnesty International Canada. "We are devastated for the families of the victims, and we hold them in our hearts as they try to process the unimaginable." "Our thoughts also go to the loved ones of Canadian citizens whom China is holding on death row or whose whereabouts in the Chinese prison system are unknown." In 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling — in a high-profile case that drew condemnation from Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians that were executed. "We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations," Joly said on Wednesday. Relations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018 after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterward — though all of them have now been released. Earlier this year, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's last two federal elections. China has condemned the reports, calling them "baseless and defamatory". More recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports in retaliation for Ottawa's levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. — BBC
