Saskatchewan cracks down on foreign worker exploitation

Saskatchewan has intensified its efforts to combat exploitation of foreign workers, following a landmark conviction under the Saskatchewan Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act (FWRISA). On August 11, Dhyan Jeny Enterprises Ltd. admitted to charging a foreign worker for employment, marking the first conviction under the legislation. However, experts warn this is just one example of a broader issue, with some employers improperly utilizing immigration programs to defraud vulnerable workers.

Greg Tuer, Deputy Minister of Saskatchewan Immigration and Career Training, acknowledges that while not all employers are bad actors, the ministry is taking action to address the problem. "People come here from all over the world and the law and the customs here in Canada and Saskatchewan are different from where they came from.

When they're working for a bad actor who's either not fully paying them for the job they're doing or withholding their documents or making them pay for the job, I think that's a tough position for someone to be in."

In Moose Jaw, the investigation revealed that a worker was forced to pay $12,000 for employment, and the company was ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine. In Swift Current, Husky Travel Centre/Husky Energy faces multiple charges of imposing employment fees and exploiting workers' lack of knowledge of FWRISA.

The recent legislative changes have expanded enforcement capabilities, leading to more charges being laid. This year, the ministry has canceled over 10 business certificates of registration for employing foreign workers. Oluwadamilola Asuni, a Saskatoon immigration lawyer, emphasizes that these exploitative practices erode confidence in the Canadian immigration system, making it more difficult for newcomers to build a life in Canada.

Asuni cites another human trafficking case in Saskatoon, where two employers were found guilty of exploiting a foreign national's job search. Balvir Singh of Saskatoon pleaded guilty to advising foreign nationals to misrepresent employment information on immigration applications for up to $40,000 in sponsorship fees. Innocent Minega of the Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies advises newcomers to conduct their own due diligence when dealing with immigration consultants.

With nearly 6,000 businesses certified to employ foreign workers in the province, Tuer expects more charges to be laid as investigations intensify.