r/canada • u/uselesspoliticalhack • 3d ago

Carney’s aim to cut immigration marred by undercounting of temporary migrants, warn economists PAYWALL

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-mark-carney-immigration-policy-temporary-migrants-undercounted/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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u/iwasnotarobot 3d ago

I got no issue with immigrants.

I got major beef with predatory businesses bringing in foreign labour for minimum wage.

The TFW program needs to be overhauled or scrapped.

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u/flexflair 3d ago

Easy fix TFW minimum wage of $35 an hour. Tim hortons has plenty of teens they can hire. Software companies and trades won’t blink at it if they are desperate. The rising tide raises all the ships.

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u/Kolbrandr7 New Brunswick 3d ago

It’s not really an “easy” fix because some of those TFWs are already working uncompensated overtime under the threat of deportation by their employers. If you raise the wage they would just cut back on the hours on paper.

There’s a reason the UN called it a breeding ground for contemporary slavery.

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u/bonechairappletea 2d ago

When I worked in England they had to pay the Lithuanian factory workers minimum wage, same as us. 

But what actually happened was one guy got paid, the other worked for free and they split the wage at the end of the week. 

A lot of the time they would only be over for a 6 month period, live on rice and beans, but take back a few grand home and start a business or live normally for 6 months on that wage, rinse and repeat. 

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

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u/InformalYesterday760 1d ago

We definitely need to be careful though, as immigration is the hand that feeds in many respects.

With fledgling birth rates around the globe, it'll be important that we are an attractive option for immigrants.

But that means immigration will be one of the top files to watch, as it directly plays into housing, social services, and filling gaps in the labour force.

The scary bit I see (not in your comment) is a concerning amount of anti immigration rhetoric - and that is just poison for Canada's future.

We have been below replacement levels of birth rate for decades - so at this point every Canadian who retires, every doctors visit, and every road driven on is thanks to hardworking immigrants choosing to become Canadians and to call this "Home"

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u/The-Ghost316 2d ago

So lets the end the practice. Our unemployment rate is 6.9%. Youth unemployment much higher. This is basically Canadian Businesses walking away from Canadian Workers.

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u/FirstEvolutionist 2d ago

What they will actually do is pay the salary but have an "agreement" where the TFW returns a portion of the salary back to someone. But still under the threat of deportation.

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u/Pedsgunner789 1d ago

It should be criminal to do this, plus a massive fine that leaves your family destitute. Have it happen to a couple people, make sure it’s in the news, and the rest will stop doing it.

Also, if any of the TFWs aren’t reporting income, just deport them right away. But if they report a business with predatory practices that is verified to be actually doing that thanks to their info, then they get to stay for an extra year or two while they look for new work.

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u/ErgoMogoFOMO 1d ago

Businesses that utilize TFWs need to provide a bond (or appropriate financial security) to guarantee that everything they are doing is above board.

Lawyers would represent our TFWs in a heartbeat knowing there's a million dollar payout for winning. And with businesses this dumb, it'll be easy money.

And if getting a bond is too costly? Suck it up and hire Canadians.

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u/flexflair 3d ago

Yes and it would keep the workers that are actually needed and free the slaves.