REGINA – Wednesday was deadline day for thousands of temporary foreign workers in Canada to leave the country.
In 2011, the federal government gave low-skilled workers who have been part of the temporary foreign workers program for more than four years, until Apr. 1 to become a permanent resident or leave Canada.
In Saskatchewan, less than two percent of the workforce is made up of temporary foreign workers, which is around 12,000 people.
The president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, Larry Hubich criticizes the program and the deadline.
“We don’t think workers should be the ones penalized as a result of a flawed program,” he explained. “What it’s become is a program of first choice for most employers primarily in the service and low income hospitality sector and that’s not what this program was intended to be.”
Andrew Stevens, an associate professor in the faculty of business at the University of Regina, said there should be more emphasis on streamlining citizenship.
“We’re facing the potential of a mass deportation. That in itself has some moral issues. I think citizens, unions, employers and government really need to look at this and consider all the implications.”
It appears temporary foreign workers in Saskatchewan will fare better than in other provinces.
Premier Brad Wall said a number of people who start out as temporary foreign workers end up as permanent residents.
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“We have a very good nominee program, one of the best in the country,” he told reporters Wednesday. “We’ve received an increase from the federal government where most provinces have not.”
Under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, workers can apply for permanent residency after just six months of work experience with support from their employer.
However, there are fears that workers who don’t qualify will be forced underground.
“We’ve benefited to some extent from the temporary foreign workers program, but I don’t think this is going to be as catastrophic as we’ve seen in Alberta and elsewhere,” explained Stevens.
It’s unclear exactly how many of the workers are facing deportation in Saskatchewan.
Any worker wishing to re-apply to the program will also need to leave Canada for four years.
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