A sweeping investigation into Canada's agricultural sector has uncovered widespread and systemic exploitation of the nearly 80,000 migrant labourers who harvest the nation's food, with workers describing conditions akin to modern-day slavery.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB), in collaboration with Simon Fraser University researchers, spent months interviewing dozens of temporary foreign workers in British Columbia and Ontario. Their findings, detailed in a report released December 1, 2025, paint a grim picture of a program designed to fill labour gaps but which instead creates a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery," as concluded by a 2023 United Nations report.
A System of Control and Vulnerability
At the heart of the problem is the employer-specific, or "closed," work permit. This policy binds a worker to a single employer, stripping them of the basic freedom to seek better or safer work. A Senate committee last year called this the "single most egregious condition of vulnerability" and urged the government to phase it out.
"All of it kind of boils down to, 'You workers have no agency,'" says Navid Bayat, a staff lawyer at the Migrant Workers Centre in Kelowna, B.C. "'We control you. More than control, we kind of own you.'"
This power imbalance fosters a climate of fear. Workers, who come primarily from Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica, and other nations, are often too scared to report wage theft, unsafe conditions, or abuse for fear of retaliation, job loss, and deportation.
Federal data shows the scope of non-compliance. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, approximately 10% of the 1,435 Temporary Foreign Worker Program employers inspected were found non-compliant. The government banned 36 employers—triple the previous year—and issued $4.9 million in penalties.
Stories of Injury, Theft, and Assault
The investigation documents numerous firsthand accounts of suffering:
Maria, a 28-year-old from Mexico working on a B.C. cannabis farm in 2023, alleges she was sexually assaulted by her employer after a social gathering. Her boss, Randhir Toor of Desert Hills Estate Winery, has been criminally charged with sexual assault. Toor's lawyer states he "vigorously asserts his innocence." Toor's companies have a history of violations, including a guilty plea for immigration fraud in 2022 and a permanent ban from the TFW program in 2024.
Luís, a 52-year-old Mexican worker with 18 years in Canada, suffered a catastrophic arm injury in a B.C. apple orchard machinery accident in October 2024, resulting in multiple surgeries. The injury cost him his job and livelihood, leaving him reliant on WorkSafeBC benefits while navigating a complex system in a foreign country.
Jesús Chauteco, 44, broke his nose in an ATV accident on a B.C. farm in July 2024. He alleges his employer, Monette Farms, delayed taking him to hospital for over two weeks to avoid "paperwork." The company denies this, stating first aid was provided and hospital transport was offered. WorkSafeBC later issued 12 orders against the farm for safety failures. Chauteco was sent back to Mexico and now struggles to find work due to his injury.
Wage theft is rampant. Tyrell Mills, a Jamaican worker in Ontario, alleged he was paid only $193 for a month's work at Triumph Produce Ltd., with one day's pay being $35 for eight hours. The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled in his favour in May 2024, ordering back pay. The federal government later fined the farm $105,000 for TFW program violations.
In B.C., a 39-year-old Jamaican worker accused his employer of systematically shortchanging workers on the count of cherry buckets picked. "They cheated and we know it," he said. "(It's) a lot of money."
Dangerous Conditions and Inadequate Housing
Workplace safety is a major concern. More than half of survey participants in B.C. reported hazards, including exposure to chemicals without proper training or protective equipment. A Grenadan worker in the Okanagan developed a severe rash but was afraid to speak up. A Mexican greenhouse worker now lives with skin discoloration and fears long-term health effects like cancer.
In Ontario, Aaron, a 43-year-old from Jamaica, believes pesticide exposure and heat in a Leamington greenhouse contributed to a stroke that left him temporarily paralyzed in 2024.
Housing is often substandard. Alejandro, a 29-year-old Guatemalan in B.C., paid $120 monthly to share a single room with 11 other men, with no hot running water. In Ontario, workers have reported overcrowding, rodent infestations, and a lack of basic amenities promised in contracts.
Despite the hardships, many workers express gratitude for the chance to support families back home. One Jamaican father, returning annually since 2014, sends half his pay to his wife and four children, though the cycle of separation is heartbreaking. "When you're packing up and leaving the next day … a child doesn't understand," he said.
Calls for Reform Amid Political Tension
The findings arrive amid intense political debate over immigration. While 62% of Canadians in a June 2025 Leger poll felt the country was admitting too many immigrants, the agricultural sector's reliance on migrant labour is undeniable. The number of temporary foreign workers in agriculture jumped from 60,992 in 2021 to 78,079 in 2024.
Researchers and advocates are demanding concrete reforms: ending employer-specific work permits, creating clear pathways to permanent residency, and strengthening enforcement. "The government needs to ensure these workers are covered by legal protections and rights and then enforce these rights," said Genevieve LeBaron, a Simon Fraser University professor and co-author of the report.
In a statement, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said mistreatment "is not acceptable and will never be tolerated," and that the government is focused on strengthening the program. Immigration officials maintain that temporary foreign workers have the same rights and protections as Canadians.
However, for workers like Maria, now back in Mexico City and awaiting trial, the system failed. "I had a lot of expectations about Canada," she said. "I was disillusioned." Lorena Ordoñez of the Migrant Workers Centre frames the obligation starkly: "As a society, we don't owe them charity. We owe them justice and dignity."
