A new Amnesty International report criticizes the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program for “systemic abuses” of predominantly racialized migrant workers from developing countries, which it calls an “intrinsic feature” of the policy that ties workers to specific employers.

Amnesty International has said migrant workers in Canada have been exposed to “shocking abuse and discrimination” while working under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

OTTAWA, CANADA - Jamaicans are among the thousands of foreign workers who are routinely exploited and abused by their employers under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), an Amnesty International Report released on Thursday has found.

Amnesty International’s report accuses Canada’s TFW program of violating international standards for “just and favourable conditions of work,” despite importing tens of thousands of migrant workers for essential jobs each year.