QUESTION PERIOD — Health—Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Temporary Foreign Workers
February 11, 2021
Honourable senators, my question today is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, as you know, temporary foreign workers play an integral role in maintaining Canada’s food supply chain. Last year, these workers risked their health as they travelled to fill shortages in our workforce. Their employers also faced increasingly difficult and arduous processes to bring their workers to Canada, in addition to adding supporting resources to keep them safe. In a time when almost nothing was certain, our agricultural sector has worked tirelessly to keep Canadian families fed, and I think it’s now the time that we repay the favour.
Senator Gold, I have also encountered significant delays when seeking information on the Agri-Food immigration pilot program. A briefing was first requested in July of last year by myself and two of my honourable colleagues. We waited until December to receive this briefing and have since waited another two months to receive follow-up information to unanswered questions. While I acknowledge the many challenges that we are presently facing, I am extremely frustrated with the lack of consideration shown by the departments involved. It’s no wonder that there have been so few permanent residency applications through this initiative. How can potential applicants learn about the program when senators can’t even get answers to their questions?
With the hopes of receiving a more fulsome response, Senator Gold, I did provide you with this question in advance. So now I ask: What is the federal government doing to proactively prepare for the arrival of temporary foreign workers, to help support and safeguard them and our country’s agricultural employers as we continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic, and can you share with us what the government plans to do to increase interest and encourage applications to the Agri-Food immigration pilot program? Thank you.
Senator, thank you for your question and thank you for the advance notice. It gave me the opportunity to at least better acquaint myself with some of the details. I hope this answer goes some way towards addressing your question and your concerns.
The government has announced additional measures in investments to reduce the incidence of outbreaks and the impact of outbreaks on our farms, and to help mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workers working in and on the food supply in Canada. These include strengthening inspections, enhancing penalties for non-compliance, increasing outreach to temporary foreign workers, to which I’ll return in a moment, and increasing funding to help farmers put into place mitigation efforts.
Part of this government response is an $84-million investment to help producers through the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program. This program will provide a maximum non-repayable contribution amount of $1,500 for each temporary foreign worker.
Now, as for the Agri-Food immigration pilot program, the Government of Canada website provides very detailed information on eligibility and how to apply for permanent residency. This includes information on the requirements of language, the requirements of education and, of course, on the industries that are seeking applicants, for example, whether in harvesting, livestock work or general farm labour. I’m advised that this pilot program will create over 2,000 jobs.
These are some of the measures the government has put into place. This is the portal through which information can be gleaned by those who are interested, and the government hopes that this addresses the important health and safety needs of the agricultural workers upon which our food supply chain depends so importantly.
Senator Black, do you have a supplementary?
I do. I just know that as of December, there were only 187 — and that number could be up or down by a little — applications for the Agri-Food immigration pilot project, which came into being last May. So the 2,200 or 2,700 that you speak of, in seven or eight or nine months, there is still a lot of work to be done, Senator Gold. I would ask that you find out what is being done to further encourage applicants. Thank you.
I will, thank you.
