Migrant agricultural workers are employed in one of Canada’s most hazardous industries. The precarious nature of their temporary contracts makes these workers further vulnerable to a variety of health issues, including workplace injury and illness.
When a migrant worker is injured on the job in Ontario, they encounter numerous barriers to accessing health care and workers’ compensation, and many are prematurely deported.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), which is responsible for providing workers’ compensation to injured Ontario workers, has drawn criticism from migrant workers and their allies for the unjust nature of its practice of “deeming” migrant workers who are injured in Ontario to be capable of returning to work even when it’s not clear they’re able to do so.
