Yeah, sorry, but no. That's not slavery. If you're present in the country illegally and working illegally and could be returned home at any time, you may not be making as much as you would if you were present legally, but you are not compelled to work. You can always terminate working and return to the country where you are legally supposed to be. If you choose to be in Country A illegally and working there rather than in Country B legally and working (for less) there, that is your choice, and you are not being compelled to work.
Please read the article before making your xenophobic proclamation. This has nothing to do with “illegal” immigration. The Temporary Foreign Worker program brings in employees legally. Once in Canada many employers illegally exploit these employees under threat that if the employees report their conditions, their contract will be terminated.
The employees ARE being compelled to work under threat. It might not be dictionary definition slavery, which is why the article calls it one of the “contemporary forms of slavery”.
So what if their option is to return to their home country and experience even more dire economic conditions? How about typical life in the US where sure, you could stop working, if you don’t mind starving and being homeless?
Slavery takes many forms and the industry has adapted with the times. Chattel slavery (the kind you’re probably thinking about) is just one type of slavery. It would be a good idea to learn about how modern slavery looks. You might help rescue someone one day if you know what to keep an eye out for
“I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of exploitation and abuse shared with me by migrant workers,” he said
“Employer-specific work permit regimes, including certain Temporary Foreign Worker Programmes, make migrant workers vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery, as they cannot report abuses without fear of deportation,” Obokata said.
He acknowledged recent policies enacted to promote human rights across the business sector such as the creation of a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) and other codes of conduct.
But he emphasized the need to regularize the status of foreign migrant workers, citing their valuable skills the bring to the economy.
“I urge the Government to bring forward legislation requiring Canadian companies to implement mandatory human rights due diligence, and expand the independence, powers, and mandate of the CORE,” he said.