jenna hennebry: agricultural migrant workers

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    Permanently

    Temporary?Agricultural Migrant

    Workers and Their

    Integration in Canada

    Jenna L. Hennebry, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Balsillie School of International AffairsAssociate Director, International Migration Research Centre

    Wilfrid Laurier University

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    Outline

    Temporary migration trends

    Re-conceptualizing integration for temporary migrants

    Migrant Farmworkers: Permanently temporary?

    Achieving integration for temporary migrants?

    Barriers and challenges

    How does Canada measure up?

    Policy recommendations

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    Temporary Foreign Worker Program,Selected Streams, 1980-2010

    0

    5,000

    10,000

    15,000

    20,000

    25,000

    30,000

    Workers

    Year

    Live-in Caregiver

    Program

    Seasonal Agricultural

    Worker Program

    Low Skill Pilot Program

    Information Technology

    Workers

    Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009

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    Temporary Migrant Workers inAgriculture* by Country of Origin, 2009

    0

    2,000

    4,000

    6,000

    8,000

    10,000

    12,000

    14,000

    16,000

    18,000

    Female

    Male

    *Includes entries for both SAWP and LSPP.Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009.

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    Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

    by Province, Country of Origin, 2009

    Source: Data derived from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Facts and Figures, 2009.

    Map created using www.mappingmigration.comGrowth over time of TFWs from Mexico: click here.

    http://www.mappingmigration.com/http://www.mappingmigration.com/interactivemapsenglish.htmlhttp://www.mappingmigration.com/interactivemapsenglish.htmlhttp://www.mappingmigration.com/
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    Concepts of Integration

    What is integration?

    Can the concept apply to

    temporary migrants?

    How might the concept bemade more relevant for thisgroup of migrants?

    How can we measure integrationfor temporary labour migrants?

    Source: IWAAC, 2012

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    Re-conceptualizing Integrationfor Temporary Migrants

    Integration of temporary migrants can indeed be understood as a processwhereby these newcomers (like permanent migrants) participate in theeconomic, social, cultural and political aspects of he host society, yet withsome important distinctions due to their temporary status.

    1. Integration of temporary migrants will not necessarily culminate inpermanent residency or citizenship (although this may occur for some).

    2. Integration processes may not move forward consistently, and maystraddle countries of origin and host countries.

    3. Some specific indicators of integration are arguably unique to temporarymigrant workersor at the very least are more important for themsuch as whether they enjoy the same access to health care and socialbenefits and the same freedom of employment and residence asresidents.

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    Permanently Temporary? Long history of labour migration in agriculture

    Growth in low-skill labour migration

    Majority of migrant farmworkers are return migrants

    75 % percent of Mexican workers in the SAWP in 2010 had

    been participating in the program for 4 years or more, 57 %participating for 6 years or more, and 22 % for more than 10years (STPS 2010).

    No access to permanent residency

    60 % of nearly 600 migrant farmworkers surveyed in Ontarioindicated they were interested in permanent residency(Hennebry, Preibisch and McLaughlin 2010).

    Heightened precarity & vulnerability

    No permanent supports

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    Local Integration Challenges

    Fear

    Language, cultural barriers

    Opposition, racism

    Isolation, transportation, hoursof work

    Transnationalism

    Funding, capacities

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    Labour Migrant Integration Scale:

    Migrant Farmworkers in Canada

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    Recommendations Worker selection and hiring processes based on skill level and experience

    Regulation of the recruitment process

    Greater autonomy for workers re: type of work, housing, geographical area

    Multiple entry visas

    Access to visitors visas or work permits for family members

    Increased job security (e.g. appeals process for dismissals, etc.)

    Open or sectoral work permits not tied to specific employers

    Access to permanent residency

    Information sessions and packages on rights, health and safety, benefits, etc.

    Full access to EI benefits, health insurance and compensation systems

    Improved communication and transportation access

    Increased monitoring and compliance of housing and workplace safety

    Provision of settlement/support services for temporary migrants (e.g. translation)

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    Conclusions There is a growing presence of temporary migrant workers in

    communities across Canadaand there is nothing temporary aboutthese migrations that have played an essential role in Canadas

    economy for more than 45 years.

    Though the majority of these migrants return to Canada numerousyears in a row, the lack of access to permanent residency, coupledwith the precarious nature of their employment places migrantfarmworkers in a state of permanent temporariness.

    It is time for permanent supports for temporary migrants in Canadaand an inter-jurisdictional commitment to improving their integration -or communities will suffer greater inequality and conflict, seriouslychallenging social cohesion across the country.

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    Thank you

    Special thanks to Leslie Seidle, Janet McLaughlin, Kerry Preibisch,Stan Raper, Andres Furet and James Restrepo, Luin Goldring, among

    others.

    Please visit www.irpp.orgfor a copy of the study, PermanentlyTemporary? Agricultural Migrant Workers and Their Integration in

    Canada published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, No.26, February 2012.

    http://www.irpp.org/http://www.irpp.org/