In this episode of the Global Voices Podcast, Migrant Worker Rights in Canada, we dive into the complexities and challenges faced by migrant workers in Canada. Host Bernice Mwaura is joined by two notable guests; Professor Ethel Tungohan and Gabriel Allahdua, to explore Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program in all its facets, while exposing the systemic abuse and issues that require reform.

Meet the Speakers:

Gabriel Allahdua is a former migrant farm worker from St Lucia, an island in the Eastern Caribbean. He has been an organizer with the collective, Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) for almost a decade. He is currently an Outreach Worker working with migrant workers across Ontario. He was Activist in Residence (AIR) at the University of Guelph, the first person to hold that position, which brought activists and researchers together. He is the author of the recently published award winning book 'Harvesting Freedom' published by Between the Lines.

Ethel Tungohan is an Associate Professor of Politics and a Canada Research Chair in Canadian Migration Policy, Impacts and Activism at York University. Her research looks at social movements, immigration and labour policy, and Canadian/comparative politics. She recently published, 'Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement Building and Communities of Care,' which won the National Women’s Studies Association First Book Prize.

Note: Since the recording of this episode, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a new and enhanced pilot program for Caregivers set to grant permanent residence status on arrival. While this does seem to be a step in the right direction; a number of barriers still exist including meeting the language requirement for the program. It is yet to be seen whether the program will truly encompass all the recommendations migrant rights organizations have been calling for. 

About the Podcast:

Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. 

Learn more about the work of OCIC.