Permanently

Temporary?
Agricultural Migrant
Workers and Their
Integration in Canada


Jenna L. Hennebry, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Balsillie School of International Affairs
Associate Director, International Migration Research Centre
Wilfrid Laurier University
Outline


Temporary migration trends
Re-conceptualizing integration for temporary migrants
Migrant Farmworkers: Permanently temporary?
Achieving integration for temporary migrants?
Barriers and challenges
How does Canada measure up?
Policy recommendations




Temporary Foreign Worker Program,
Selected Streams, 1980-2010
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
W
o
r
k
e
r
s

Year
Live-in Caregiver
Program
Seasonal Agricultural
Worker Program
Low Skill Pilot Program
Information Technology
Workers
Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009
Temporary Migrant Workers in
Agriculture* by Country of Origin, 2009
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
Female
Male
*Includes entries for both SAWP and LSPP.
Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009.


Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
by Province, Country of Origin, 2009

Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009.
Map created using www.mappingmigration.com
Growth over time of TFWs from Mexico: click here.
Concepts of Integration
What is integration?
Can the concept apply to
temporary migrants?
How might the concept be
made more relevant for this
group of migrants?
How can we measure integration
for temporary labour migrants?
Source: IWAAC, 2012
Re-conceptualizing Integration
for Temporary Migrants
Integration of temporary migrants can indeed be understood as a process
whereby these newcomers (like permanent migrants) participate in the
economic, social, cultural and political aspects of he host society, yet with
some important distinctions due to their temporary status.


1. Integration of temporary migrants will not necessarily culminate in
permanent residency or citizenship (although this may occur for some).
2. Integration processes may not move forward consistently, and may
straddle countries of origin and host countries.
3. Some specific indicators of integration are arguably unique to temporary
migrant workers or at the very least are more important for them
such as whether they enjoy the same access to health care and social
benefits and the same freedom of employment and residence as
residents.

Permanently Temporary?
Long history of labour migration in agriculture
Growth in low-skill labour migration
Majority of migrant farmworkers are return migrants
75 % percent of Mexican workers in the SAWP in 2010 had
been participating in the program for 4 years or more, 57 %
participating for 6 years or more, and 22 % for more than 10
years (STPS 2010).
No access to permanent residency
60 % of nearly 600 migrant farmworkers surveyed in Ontario
indicated they were interested in permanent residency
(Hennebry, Preibisch and McLaughlin 2010).
Heightened precarity & vulnerability
No permanent supports

Key Structural Barriers to Integration
Migration status, work permit and health care access tied to employers
Insufficient regulation of illegal and/or corrupt recruitment practices
Racism/discrimination in hiring practices and workplace segregation
Forced return policies (e.g. 8 month rule for SAWP, 4/4 rule for LSPP)
Inadequate rights and protections to enable fair labour representation


No appeals process for termination of employment, repatriation or future
exclusions (particularly with respect to the SAWP)
Insufficient compliance system and weak enforcement of contracts
Lack of funding, support for integration initiatives and services
Jurisdictional ftbol

Local Integration Challenges
Fear
Language, cultural barriers
Opposition, racism
Isolation, transportation, hours
of work
Transnationalism
Funding, capacities




Labour Migrant Integration Scale:
Migrant Farmworkers in Canada
Recommendations
Worker selection and hiring processes based on skill level and experience
Regulation of the recruitment process
Greater autonomy for workers re: type of work, housing, geographical area
Multiple entry visas
Access to visitors visas or work permits for family members
Increased job security (e.g. appeals process for dismissals, etc.)
Open or sectoral work permits not tied to specific employers
Access to permanent residency
Information sessions and packages on rights, health and safety, benefits, etc.
Full access to EI benefits, health insurance and compensation systems
Improved communication and transportation access
Increased monitoring and compliance of housing and workplace safety
Provision of settlement/support services for temporary migrants (e.g. translation)

Conclusions

There is a growing presence of temporary migrant workers in
communities across Canada and there is nothing temporary about
these migrations that have played an essential role in Canadas
economy for more than 45 years.
Though the majority of these migrants return to Canada numerous
years in a row, the lack of access to permanent residency, coupled
with the precarious nature of their employment places migrant
farmworkers in a state of permanent temporariness.
It is time for permanent supports for temporary migrants in Canada
and an inter-jurisdictional commitment to improving their integration -
or communities will suffer greater inequality and conflict, seriously
challenging social cohesion across the country.
Thank you
Special thanks to Leslie Seidle, Janet McLaughlin, Kerry Preibisch,
Stan Raper, Andres Furet and James Restrepo, Luin Goldring, among
others.

Please visit www.irpp.org for a copy of the study, Permanently
Temporary? Agricultural Migrant Workers and Their Integration in
Canada published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, No.
26, February 2012.