Protecting Migrant Workers in Canadian Farms (Essay Sample)

Protecting migrant workers in Canadian farms
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As the Canadian farming industry is so reliant on migrant workers, the Federal Government needs to enact more protection to migrant workers while in the country.
Introduction
In order to work outside the country, one is motivated by the job opportunities and related benefits. Canada is one of the destinations of migrant agricultural workers as they are promised benefits the same as those of Canadian citizens. To most of the migrant workers, especially from Mexico and Caribbean consulates, these benefits are much better than those in their country. However, the promises turn out to be empty when something dire that requires more expenses than anticipated happens. Both the Canadian Federal government and the consulates hang out the workers to dry. They do not enjoy the same social programs that they had been promised especially healthcare. Instead, they are returned home where the facilities available are not sustainable for their health improvement. After the return of a migrant to their home, neither the Canadian government or the consulate is responsible for them. They are left alone to die. Worker programs such as the Seasonal Agricultural Workers (SAW) have been set out to aid Canadian farmers in the provision of sustainable labor since 1966 (Norton, Green & Dynes, 2019). The Canadian government collects revenues from both the farmers and the migrant workers. Therefore, migrant workers are entitled to social programs the same as to Canadian citizens because they contribute to their funding through taxes. The federal government needs to protect migrant workers because they benefit through revenues. Canadian social programs are funded by taxes. Therefore, migrant workers taxes are also used to fund these programs. “However, they do not receive all the benefits that Canadians receive.” A majority of the social benefits require Canadian residency. Migrant workers under SAW are documented as it is a federal guest-worker program. Theoretically, they should have legal rights and receive more social benefits because they pay for them through taxes. Maria Amuchastegui indicates that the Canadian government receives a considerable amount from the migrant worker’s salaries (Norton, Green & Dynes, 2019). Not only the Canadian government is obliged to provide such protection but the consulates as they benefit through remittances from the migrant workers and job creation of their citizens.