Question Period Note: Manage the quarantine on arrival in Canada for migrant farm workers

In 2020 despite efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 there were outbreaks on farms amongst migrant workers, including three deaths. To mitigate the risk in 2021 and alleviate resource demands on local authorities, the Government of Canada is being asked to manage quarantine on arrival.

• In order to safeguard food security for all Canadians, temporary foreign workers may travel to Canada and like all persons entering Canada they must quarantine on arrival.
• Our Government takes the health and safety of workers very seriously. This is why early in the pandemic we worked closely with provinces, territories, employers, workers and foreign governments to communicate expectations.
• Our Government put in place regulations to ensure that employers who hire temporary foreign workers, and especially those who provide accommodations, follow rules to help workers meet obligations under the Quarantine Act.
• Despite these efforts there were unfortunately too many cases of COVID-19 on farms. While evidence suggests the driving force is not related to quarantine on arrival, we are actively working to protect workers and reduce risks going forward.
• We will continue to explore options in collaboration with provinces, territories and local health authorities.
• As an immediate step, we are investing $58 million to strengthen the Temporary Foreign Worker Program going forward that will support:
o Increased direct outreach to temporary foreign workers delivered through migrant worker support organizations to better inform workers of their rights and support them in exercising those rights;

o An enhanced employer inspections regime, particularly on farms, and improvements to how tips and allegations of employer non-compliance are treated; and,

o Enabling better health and safety at work and in their living quarters.

Approximately 72,000 foreign seasonal agricultural workers come to work on Canadian farms each year, which accounts for over 60% of all TFWs entering Canada under the program.

Like all Canadians, workers entering Canada must fulfill their obligations as outlined in orders made pursuant to the Quarantine Act. In particular, they must quarantine themselves for the first 14 days upon arrival to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19, unless they are deemed as providing an essential service by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada (CPHO).

The Government of Canada has made significant investments in measures to increase protections for temporary foreign workers and address COVID-19 outbreaks on farms since the pandemic began. This has included working with partners and stakeholders to protect the health and safety of workers during the pandemic, with a focus on ensuring the timely arrival of workers, that public health requirements are being met, and that there is sufficient labour to meet demand.

Measures included amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), entered into force on April 20, 2020, which compel employers to meet the requirements of the Quarantine Act. This includes requiring employers to pay workers without requiring them to work during their quarantine period, as well as not preventing a worker from meeting their requirements under the Act or provincial/territorial public health laws related to COVID-19. Employers who provide accommodations to workers as part of the requirements of the TFW Program must also meet new requirements to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. In addition, the Government of Canada has invested $50 million to help employers meet the quarantine requirements for workers upon their arrival.

Additional initiatives recently initiated under the TFW Program include: a Canada-Mexico Contact Group convened to streamline dialogue on issues affecting Mexican workers; a dedicated Liaison Officer on Integrity and Compliance established to provide a focal point for consulates and migrant network groups to address employer non-compliance; and an on-site worksite assessment pilot in selected worksites in Ontario where outbreaks have occurred, in collaboration with provincial and local health authorities.

As part of the Government's previous commitment to provide up to $100 million to the Canadian Red Cross to support additional relief and recovery efforts this year related to COVID-19, floods and wildfires, we collaborated with the Canadian Red Cross and the Province of Ontario to set up temporary housing in Windsor-Essex Country in order to enable those affected by COVID-19 to self-isolate.

ESDC continues to work with provincial and territorial governments and other key stakeholders in the TFW Program to inform other potential policy and program changes designed to better protect the health and safety of Canadian and migrant farm workers.

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