Access to
health and
social rights
for migrant
workers
Dr. Jill Hanley
 Associate
Professor at McGill School of
Social Work
 Conducting
research on “precarious
status” migrants for 15 years
 Active
in community work supporting
migrant workers
 Participant
in government consultations
Migrant workers in Canada
 Long
 Shift
history
from permanent to temporary
 Serious
concerns about temporary
migrants’ social rights
Five areas of concern for
human rights

Immigration status

Labour rights

Health

Education

Housing
Three barriers to access
 Legal
eligibility
 Socio-economic
 Cultural
barriers
barriers, especially language
Immigration status
 Concept
status”
of “precarious immigration
 Permanent
residents
 Refugee claimants
 Temporary Foreign Workers**
 Undocumented Workers**
Labour rights
 Generally,
same labour rights
 But
tied to one job (TFWs) or no legal right
to work (undocumented)
 Widespread
rights violations: unpaid
overtime, unjust dismissal, low unionization
 Workers
unaware of their rights
Health

TFWs have Medicare, undocumented none

Work more hazardous to their health + stress

Difficulty accessing care: no healthcard, no
time off work, afraid for boss to find out,
discrimination by health professionals

Cultural differences in healthcare
Education
 Adults:
no right to further education
 Children:
full rights for children of TFWs,
complicated for undocumented children
 Language
an issue, but addressed in
primary & secondary school
Housing

Some TFWs required to live on employers’
premises

Issues of dependence on employer

Overcrowded, unsanitary, lack of privacy

No government housing benefits

Discrimination in private housing market
Where does this lead?
 Immediate
violation of human rights and
lack of wellbeing for migrant workers
 Creates
two-tiered society
 Downward
pressure for all workers
Current responses
 Direct
resistance by workers
 Advocacy
unions
 Various
by community groups and
government iniatives
Policy solutions

Permanent residency upon arrival for migrant
workers

Full labour benefits (employment insurance,
complaints)

Immediate Medicare for all

Full access to education for all children and to
higher education for adults

No tied housing, equal tenants rights
Thank you!
jill.hanley@mcgill.ca