A migrant farm worker who took his case to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has received the first-ever open work permit, allowing him to escape his abusive Canadian employer.
The worker, who is given the pseudonym “Mr. Perez,” spent the last two years working in an onion farm in Quebec where he was belittled, humiliated, and forced to work in dangerous conditions.
Open work permits were introduced in June 2019 to provide an escape route for exploited migrant workers, who are often unable to escape due to barriers related to the terms of their work permit, language and communication abilities, or their proximity to resources and support.