Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound—Canada’s Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers Policy

Eugénie Depatie-Pelletier, Hannah Deegan and Katherine Berze
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Eugénie Depatie-Pelletier: Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (ADDPD-ARHW), Montreal, QC H2J 1M3, Canada
Hannah Deegan: Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (ADDPD-ARHW), Montreal, QC H2J 1M3, Canada
Katherine Berze: Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

Laws, 2022, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: In June 2019, the Government of Canada implemented the Open work permit for vulnerable workers (OWP-V) policy, authorizing immigration officers to issue open work permits to migrant workers on employer-specific work permits if they demonstrate reasonable grounds to believe that they are experiencing abuse or are at risk of abuse in their workplace. Drawing on research conducted by a community organization on the impact of the policy, this article examines the policy’s potential to remedy the problematic effects of the employer-specific work permit and whether it has been implemented efficiently. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with organizations that provide direct legal and social support to migrant workers in Canada. Additionally, two datasets regarding the role of the OWP-V policy in IRCC’s employer compliance regime were analyzed. The research concludes that the OWP-V policy cannot be expected to counteract the high risk of abuse imposed on workers through the employer-specific work permit. Numerous barriers were identified that make it difficult for migrant workers to apply for the permit. The small number of OWP-V permits issued in proportion to the number of employers authorized to hire migrant workers makes it unlikely that the policy will significantly impact employers’ propensity to comply with the program conditions.

Keywords: migrant workers; labour mobility; vulnerability; employer-specific work permit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D78 E61 E62 F13 F42 F68 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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