Auditor General’s report: Conservatives’ temporary foreign worker’s program in shambles

OTTAWA – The report by the Auditor General released today confirmed charges by New Democrat Immigration Critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) that the temporary foreign workers file has been badly mismanaged. Chow has long called for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to review his approach.

The audit found that current practices do not ensure the program is delivered efficiently and effectively. Currently, work permits could be issued for employers or jobs that do not exist. Further, visa offices are buried in paperwork without a quality assurance framework to ensure decisions are fair and consistent. Finally, the department has no process for systematic follow-up to ensure that employers are complying with the terms and conditions.

“Temporary foreign workers and live-in-caregivers continue to be exploited and abused. Instead of recognizing them as nation builders, the Conservatives treat them as mere economic units," said Chow. “Fake jobs, lower wages and high unemployment rates in some regions are the result of a Conservative and Liberal rush to bring in over 200,000 temporary foreign workers annually.”

The human costs of these findings are that many foreign workers are left in a vulnerable position, unaware of their rights. Internal CIC reports dating back to 1994 raise serious concerns about the exploitation of live-in-caregivers, and still no serious action has yet to be taken to fix the problems.

“The Conservative government's use-them-and-toss-them-out policy is not what’s best for Canada," said Chow. "If workers are good enough to work here, they are good enough to stay in Canada permanently.”