Imagine leaving your home country to work in Canada’s construction sector.

On the job site, you encounter dangerous working conditions and rampant abuse. You’re made to work extra hours every day. Your first paycheque is late, and when it does come through, your wages have been docked. When you complain to your employer, they threaten to deport you.

This is the reality for tens of thousands of migrant workers who come to Canada every year to build our homes, care for our children and elderly family members, and harvest our food.

Despite the essential role they play in the Canadian economy, migrant workers face systemic abuse and exploitation. The recent passage of Bill C-12 into law – legislation that, according to Amnesty International and others, replicates “U.S.-like anti-migrant sentiment and policies in Canada” and represents “a significant attack on refugee and migrant rights” – means the situation is poised to become even worse.

Canada’s federal decision-makers can and should use their constitutional authority to redesign our labour migration systems around rights, mobility, and integration. Not only will this help eliminate exploitation and abuse, it will also strengthen Canada’s economic resilience by reducing workforce turnover, improving productivity, and creating more stable labour markets.

“Breeding grounds for contemporary slavery,” says UN

Programs such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) have expanded dramatically over the last decade. Entire sectors, including agriculture, food processing, long-term care, and construction, now depend structurally on migrant........

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