The immigration critic of the Québec Solidaire provincial party says the province needs to greatly increase the number of family sponsorship immigrants it lets in to help cut down on the long wait times facing foreign nationals hoping to immigrate there.
“I’m hoping that every Quebecer, and of course the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, can show some compassion, empathy, and allow their spouses and kids to be reunited with them here in Canada,” Québec Solidaire’s Guillaume Cliche-Rivard reportedly told Global News.
The newly-elected member of Quebec’s legislature says the province’s 10,000-application cap on family sponsorships has led to much longer wait times for family reunifications in Quebec than in other provinces.
Cliche-Rivard wants that current cap on these family sponsorship applications to be lifted so many more immigrants can reunite with their families.
The ask for more family sponsorships in Quebec comes as the province is undertaking public consultations on immigration to determine what its strategy should be from 2024 through to 2027 to deal with both serious labour shortages and economic growth while preserving the French language.
Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette has reportedly responded in question period to the request to increase family sponsorship to the province by saying she feels for the families still waiting for their applications processed. The provincial immigration minister has also noted she has asked Ottawa for the province to be granted more powers over immigration.
As the three-week consultation process started Sept. 12, a committee of the National Assembly of Quebec, had on the docket 77 briefs and the presentations of roughly 70 experts and organizations to consider.
Business groups in the province are solidly in support of increased immigration to the province.
The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals Quebec in fact welcomed 68,720 new permanent residents last year and had already received another 33,550 new permanent residents by the end of July this year,
That level of immigration, if the trend seen in the first seven months of this year were to be continued throughout the rest of 2023, would see 57,514 new permanent residents settling in Quebec by the end of this year.
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Michel Leblanc, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, wants Quebec to raise its immigration target to 60,000 to help resolve labour shortages.
“This need, which is quite predictable, can be explained by the demographic tightening of Quebec’s population, which is occurring at a time when our economy is experiencing strong structural momentum,” Leblanc has reportedly said.
“Our society as a whole has to contend with a sustained increase in the number of vacancies in all areas, from health care to education to high-tech sectors.”
The chamber of commerce president says higher immigration to Quebec should be accompanied by a housing strategy to reduce the pressure on real estate prices and rents that would be created by the extra demand of new residents in the province.
Quebec Premier François Legault and Fréchette have been adamant that immigration to the francophone province must be limited to 50,000 new permanent residents yearly to ensure the survival of the Quebecois culture.
Premier Legault Has Deemed More Immigration Would Be ‘Suicidal’ To The French Language
In the run-up to the last provincial election, Legault told a business audience that raising immigration levels would be “suicidal” to the French language and insisted Quebec must not accept substantially more than 50,000 new permanent residents annually.
After the election, the premier doubled down on that vision of Quebec by putting forth a plan to limit economic immigration to the province to only those foreign nationals who already speak French.
“As premier of Quebec, my first responsibility is to defend our language and our identity,” said Legault. “During the past few years, the French language has been in decline in Quebec. Since 2018, our government has acted to protect our language, more so than any previous government since the adoption of Bill 101 under the Levesque government.
“But, if we want to turn the tide, we must do more. By 2026, our goal is to have almost entirely francophone economic immigration. We have the duty, as Québécois, to speak French, to daily pass on our culture and to be proud of it.”
Under the proposed changes to Quebec’s immigration system, all adult applicants for economic immigration would have to demonstrate they can speak French.
The province’s immigration minister described the proposed changes as historic.
“Never before has a government made French language competence obligatory for economic immigration applicants in Quebec,” she said.
Manufacturers Association President Called For Immigration To Quebec To Be Set At 90,000 Arrivals
“The work we’ve done … has allowed us to put forth important reforms to both stop the decline of the French language and to also respond effectively to the important labour market needs of our province.”
Through its current public consultation process, the province is seeking feedback from Quebeckers and organizations as to whether Quebec should restrict annual immigration to 50,000 new permanent residents or gradually increase that immigration target to 60,000 new permanent residents.
Even such an increase, though, might not be seen as enough for some business groups who have vociferously lobbied the province to increase immigration to as many as 90,000 new permanent residents annually to help ease Quebec’s serious labour shortages.
Véronique Proulx , president of the Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec (MEQ) manufacturing and exporting industry association, has reportedly called for the province to receive as many as 90,000 immigrants annually.
“We know the labour shortages cannot be fixed in the blink of an eye and it will take a series of strategies working in tandem to reduce the impact of the lack of workers,” Proulx has said in a statement in French.
Canada is still welcoming Indians to study, work and immigrate despite the shaky Indo-Canadian relationship in the wake of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation that India was likely involved in the killing of a prominent Sikh leader.
Earlier in September, Trudeau drew the ire of the Indian government when he alleged it was involved in the slaying of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
The victim had been a supporter of an independent Khalistani state, a Sikh homeland, and had been branded a terrorist and leader of a militant separatist group by India.
“Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau reportedly said in the House of Commons.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves.
“As you would expect, we have been working closely and co-ordinating with our allies on this very serious matter.”
India dismissed the allegations, calling them absurd.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” India’s ministry of external affairs reportedly replied.
“The inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”
Despe the palpable tension in diplomatic circles between the two countries, Canada remains bullish on immigration from India and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is still very much issuing work and study permits to Indians and encouraging them to immigrate here.
India Tops List Of Most Important Sources Of New Permanent Residents To Canada
In fact, India is the most important source of new permanent residents to Canada, far outstripping the contribution of second-place China in the top ten list of sources of new permanent residents.
The latest IRCC data reveals India provided 118,245 new permanent residents to Canada last year, or more than 27 per cent of the total 437,610 new permanent residents last year.
And India’s importance to Canada as a source of new permanent residents has only grown since then. In the first seven months of this year, India provided 96,085 new permanent residents to Canada, or more than 31.6 per cent of the total 303,955 during that time frame.
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At the current rate of immigration from India, that country could close off this year having provided 164,717 new permanent residents to Canada, or 39.3 per cent more than last year.
The popularity of the CEC for Indians seeking permanent residency in Canada is a natural offshoot of their high number of international students from India at Canadian colleges and universities and Indians working in Canada under temporary work permits.
IRCC Issued 225,940 Study Permits To Indians Last Year
Last year, more than 41.1 per cent of all study permits issued to international students in Canada went to Indians. The IRCC issued 225,940 study permits to Indians in 2022 out of a total 549,260 for the year.
In the first seven months of this year, IRCC data shows Canada issued 107,855 study permits to Indians out of a total of 289,875 study permits issued during that period.
The IRCC allows students to work while studying in Canada.
A student may be able to work in Canada during his or her studies under the following categories:
Spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are also eligible for work permits for the duration of the study permit.
Upon graduation, a foreign student may apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. Under this program, the work permit may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years.
The valuable work experience gained while an international grad works in Canada under a PGWP can count towards a permanent residence application through Canada Express Entry system.
Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used by Express Entry system programs, applicants for immigration are assigned points based on:
skills;
work experience;
language ability;
language ability and education of the applicant’s spouse or common law partner;
possession of a provincial government nomination for permanent residence, and;
certain combinations of language skills, education and work experience that result in a higher chance of the applicant becoming employed (skill transferability).
Indians Granted 201,090 Temporary Work Permits In Canada In First Seven Months Of This Year
Indians are also a valuable source of temporary foreign workers for Canadian businesses. Last year, 18,980 Indians received work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and another 142,315 Indians got work permits through the International Mobility Program (IMP).
That was a total of 161,295 temporary foreign workers from India who got their work permits last year.
The importance of India as a source of temporary foreign workers has only grown since then with 183,740 Indians receiving work permits under the IMP in the first seven months of this year and another 17,350 through the TFWP.
That’s a total of 201,090 work permits under these programs to foreign nationals from India during that time frame so far this year.
Canada has announced it will conduct a first Express Entry draw aimed at the agriculture and agri-food sector this week.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Wednesday that the draw targeting candidates with skills and experience in three occupations in the sector would take place.
Those jobs are agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and retail and wholesale butchers
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Occupation
2021 NOC code
2021 TEER category
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
82031
2
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
82030
2
Butchers- retail and wholesale
63201
3
The sector is the final one on a list identified by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canad as having a level of labour shortages that needed to be tackled with occupation-specific draws.
Express Entry invitations have already targeted the other four sectors, namely:
healthcare
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
transport
The new draws have also targeted candidates with French language proficiency.
“By prioritizing the invitation of skilled newcomers with work experience in agriculture and agri-food jobs, Canada aims to meet increasing demand for talent and fill key positions that contribute to the advancement of the nation’s farming and food processing operations,” IRCC said.
Miller added: “Food security is top of mind for all Canadians, and our country is the fifth-largest exporter of agri-food and seafood on the planet.
“That is why addressing labour shortages is crucial to maintain the sector’s ability to produce and process food at this scale for Canadians and export markets around the world.
“This is an exciting step toward welcoming more skilled farm and food workers to our country.”
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Canada has now conducted the following draws this year:
16 all-program draws
Four PNP draws
Four draws targeted at French speakers
Two draws targeted at healthcare occupations
One draw targeted at STEM occupations
One draw targeted at skilled trades
One draw targeted at Federal Skilled Worker candidates
One draw targeted at transport jobs
IRCC has now issued 85,448 ITAs in 2023 after inviting 45,115 candidates in the whole of 2022.
Canada also operates the Agri-Food Pilot, launched in 2020, providing a pathway to permanent residence for experienced, non-seasonal workers in specific industries and occupations.
IRCC has recently announced several changes to the Agri-Food Pilot, including an extension by two years until May 2025.
Canada is still considering the implementation of the controversial one-click citizenship oath in place of virtual or in-person ceremonies, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said.
The government sought public opinion in February about the introduction of this idea, with consultation documents posted online saying that the new regulations were expected to come into force in June 2023.
Miller is supportive of the department’s continued consideration of this measure, as “you don’t want to take these moments lightly,” as he asserted on his way into Question Period.
“The department has been criticized, rightly, for not being adjusted to the 21st century and that option is one I think that we should preserve.”
Miller has advanced the utility those living in remote or rural communities would derive from such an arrangement, by having to not drive long distances to swear in their citizenship.
Miller’s opinion stems from then-immigration minister Sean Fraser’s pitch earlier this year for a temporary introduction of the one-click oath to clear up citizenship backlogs; up to three months of processing times can be saved through such an implementation, as per government consultation documents.
Mixed views were generated with this idea – as reflected in the 691 comments sent in – with some calling it a forward-thinking approach and others calling it a degradation of the value of in-person ceremonies to the standard of online shopping.
The department said in a statement from Monday that the comments will “inform the next steps and the development of implementation plans.”
“I’ve heard from Canadians and advocates of the importance of actually being in person. I’ve also seen the importance of virtually, when there’s no question about someone’s loyalty or citizenship or oath or the seriousness he should take the Canadian citizenship,” Miller said.
“It’s about keeping the options open in the 21st century.”
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As someone who has administered the oath thrice in the past, Miller believes the in-person option as “paramount.”
However, the number of people opting in for it is expected to drop with the advent of an in-person option. Conservatives oppose this possible “cheapening” of the citizenship oath, asserting – via Conservative immigration critic Tom Kmiec – that the government wants to “reduce it all to a click on a website or an app as if citizenship were no more than consenting to terms in a contract.”
“The Trudeau Liberals are abandoning this special tradition and reducing our citizens to a bureaucratic number.”
Other critics were concerned about the possibility of fraud, despite government plans to use a secure web portal for one-click oaths.
Despite the introduction of a virtual ceremony due to the pandemic, a backlog of 68,287 people remains as of July 23.
The September 21 draw saw LAAs issued through three MPNP streams.
A batch of 298 invitations with a lowest score of 612 went to Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates currently employed in Manitoba in one of the following major group occupations:
64 – Sales and service representatives and other customer and personal services occupations
65 – Sales and service support occupations
Meanwhile, Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates in all occupations received 239 LAAs, with a minimum score of 631 points.
International Education Stream candidates received 56 LAAs.
The remaining 27 LAAs went to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates through a Strategic Recruitment Initiative, with a minimum score of 723.
Manitoba stated that 59 of the 620 candidates invited had valid Express Entry IDs and job seeker validation codes.
What Were the Details of the Latest Manitoba Draw?
Stream
Sub-Stream
Letters of Advice to Apply
Score of Lowest Ranked Candidate
1) Skilled Workers in Manitoba
Occupation-specific selection
298
612
All occupations
239
631
2) International Education Stream
56
–
3) Skilled Workers Overseas
Strategic Recruitment Initiative
27
723
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How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream?
The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM) is based on the specific needs of Manitoba employers. SWM selects foreign-trained workers with the required skills and nominates them for Canada permanent residence. The stream prioritizes candidates with a strong attachment to Manitoba, with two pathways to Manitoba immigration.
a) Manitoba Work Experience Pathway
For applicants currently working in Manitoba on temporary work permits, through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or as international graduates from any province. Candidates do not need to be working in In-Demand Occupations.
b) Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway
For applicants from overseas with job offers from approved Manitoba employers.
How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream?
The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO) includes both a dedicated Canada Express Entry Pathway and a direct provincial pathway.
It is aimed at international skilled workers with skills and training in Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Priority is given to applicants and spouses with close family connections, plus the language proficiency, training and experience to find jobs quickly.
a) Manitoba Express Entry Pathway
For international candidates eligible under another MPNP stream, who also meet Express Entry criteria and have an active Express Entry profile. Candidates need skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations, and a strong family connection to the province.
b) Human Capital Pathway
For international skilled workers with skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Candidates must demonstrate potential to find employment soon after they arrive in Manitoba.
What Are The Requirements For the International Education Stream?
The International Education Stream (IES) is dedicated to international graduates from Manitoba colleges and universities. Under IES, candidates are no longer required to work for six months in their field before applying for an MPNP nomination. It has three pathways:
1) Career Employment Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a one-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution within three years of submission of application.
Have a full-time job offer in a Manitoba In-Demand occupation related to the completed degree
Resident of Manitoba
2) Graduate Internship Pathway
Masters and Doctoral degree holders who have completed Mitacs Accelerate or Elevate internships can apply for nomination through internships even without a job offer in the province.
3) Student Entrepreneur Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a two-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution
Six months business operation experience in Manitoba
Resident of Manitoba since graduation.
No specific minimum personal net worth requirement
Prince Edward Island has conducted two new provincial draws, issuing invitations to apply to 157 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates.
It saw 153 invites issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, while Business Impact candidates received 4 invitations. Business Impact candidates required a minimum score of 80 points.
Invitations under the Critical Worker Stream, which falls under Labour Impact and Express Entry, were issued to candidates working for a PEI employer with a minimum score of 55.
PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018, and has made monthly draws ever since, with some disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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PEI issued a total of 1,853 invites during 2022, compared to 1,933 in 2021.
Of the 2022 invites, 1,729 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the remaining 124 going to Business Impact candidates.
Prince Edward Island Express Entry Stream
PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.
The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.
Prince Edward Island Labour Impact Category
1) Skilled Worker Stream
This employer driven stream allows skilled workers with an employment offer in PEI to be nominated for Canadian Permanent residence if they meet the following criteria:
A full time employment offer from a Prince Edward Island business in an occupation classified as TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
Completion of a post-secondary education, with a minimum of 14 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full time work experience in the past 5 years;
Sufficient proficiency in English or French to occupy the employment offered;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
2) Critical Worker Stream
This category is designed to resolve labour shortages and is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical demand occupations. The primary criteria for nomination are:
A full time offer of employment from a Prince Edward Island business in one of the following occupations:
Truck driver;
Customer service representative;
Labourer;
Food & beverage server;
Housekeeping attendant.
6 months of work experience with the Prince Edward Island business offering employment;
Current valid Canadian work permit;
High school diploma and minimum of 12 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
Demonstrate basic proficiency in English or French language;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island Business Impact Category
Work Permit Stream
Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.
After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.
Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residence business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.
Ontario immigration has issuing Notifications of Interest to 63 candidates in a new draw through the Express Entry-linked French Speaking Skilled Worker stream.
The September 21 Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program draws saw NOIs issued to candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 348 and 434.
To qualify, candidates also needed work experience in TEER Category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
To qualify for both draws, candidates had to submit Express Entry profiles within the last year.
Candidates must have a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in French and 6 in English to qualify for the FSSW program.
A September 12 draw featured 300 invitations for tourism and hospitality candidates with a job offer in the province. The lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score was 383 points.
On September 14, 142 invitations were issued to candidates with a family connection and in a primary occupation in demand, with a lowest CRS of 301.
Alberta has an allocation of 9,750 provincial nominations for 2023, up from 6,500 in 2022.
The province has issued 7,752 nominations so far this year.
A class-action lawsuit has been launched against the Government of Canada for violating migrant domestic workers’ and farm workers’ Charter Rights under the closed work permit, the Toronto Star is reporting.
“What we’re trying to do is challenge all the provisions of the immigration regulations that allow the federal government to bind these workers and to restrict their rights to change employers,” said Eugenie Depatie-Pelletier, who is the executive director of the Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (DTMF), which filed the case on behalf of holders of closed work permits.
“It’s time to put an end to non-free work, a system that treats the workers as the quasi-property of her employer.”
The man leading the lawsuit in question – identified in court documents only as A.B. – moved to Canada in 2014, after arranging for $3,000 to pay for a job offer in poultry catching from his employer.
His next nine years in the country would be spent on six separate closed work permits, allowing him to work only for his sponsoring employers despite “exploitative conditions and treatment.”
In other words, he was bound to his job to maintain his immigration status in Canada.
Unlike an “open” work permit, a “closed” work permit (also known as an “employer-specific work permit”) can only operate based on the specific conditions applied to the work permit. For example, someone may be able to work for only a specific employer.
Migrant workers in low-wage, low-skill jobs are generally provided with closed work permits, and resultantly have certain restrictions placed on their professional flexibility.
The lawsuit alleges that such “employer-tying measures” are discriminatory towards people of certain racial, national, or ethnic origin and color.
“The development of these schemes coincided with a shift in the demographics of the immigrants entering Canada to work in these occupations. They had previously included predominantly ‘white’ immigrants,” said the court application filed on Thursday.
“There were now increasing numbers of persons of colour. These schemes were justified on the basis that the immigrants of certain races, colours, or ethnic or national origins were considered unable to assimilate to Canada’s climate and society and to be better-suited for ‘unfree’ and low-skilled work.”
If a migrant on a closed work permit loses their employment with their employer in Canada, they also lose legal status to work in Canada until they secure another employer with authorization by Employment and Social Development Canada to hire foreign workers.
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As the lawsuit claims – and as reported by the Star – the process can be “lengthy, difficult, costly, and most importantly highly unpredictable” as the person may be denied a new work permit. That may prevent them from being able to work for an indeterminate period of time.
The Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN) and the Federation des travailleurs et travailleuses du Quebec (FTQ) support the association’s initiative for recognizing the closed work permit as unconstitutional, as it puts workers in a vulnerable position and dependent on their employer.
“Even if they have rights on paper, there is always the fear of [workers] being sent back to their country. There are always threats from employers. They are afraid of reprisals,” said CSN vice-president Katia Lelièvre, as reported by CTV News.
The plaintiffs in the case are requesting that the court declare the provisions of the immigration law that allows such practice unconstitutional, along with awarding damages to those migrant workers who have been subject to “employer-tying measures” on or after April 17, 1982, when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms actually became effective.
They said that the harmful effects of the measures include:
Restricting workers’ capacity to resign and make choices concerning their work and livelihood in Canada;
Limiting their freedom of movement;
Impeding their ability to assert their rights and access help.
“The employer-tied workers’ inability to change employers creates a striking power imbalance in favour of the employer, making migrant workers uniquely vulnerable,” the lawsuit says.
“These harmful impacts are compounded when temporary foreign workers work in remote locations, reside in employer-provided accommodation or live in their employer’s own home.”
Hailing from Guatemala, A.B. – who is the leading case in the lawsuit – obtained his first closed work permit from 2014 to 2016, during which time he claims to have been working from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday to Friday, and with only three 10-minute breaks per night. He was required to catch 40,000 chickens per shift – with five in each hand – and was paid $3.75 per thousand chickens and $12 per thousand turkeys.
Abusive Treatment
He alleges that his Canadian counterparts were paid twice his salary, while he was forced to endure abusive treatment as a result of his closed work permit.
When he left his job due to a work-related injury in 2015, his contract was not renewed and he returned to Guatemala. There, an MRI revealed that he was suffering from a herniated disc problem.
He found a dairy farm job in 2017 in Quebec but was subjected to inhumane work conditions for the next two years. He was laid off after an accident in 2019, after which he obtained two more closed work permits from 2020 to 2022 to work in another dairy farm. The abuse was yet again repeated.
The lawsuit flags instances such as this by saying that “the Government of Canada has not ceased to resort to employer-tying measures. It has instead continued to subject a growing number of temporary foreign workers to those measures – and it still continues to do so today.”
“The Government of Canada’s failure to put an end to those measures evidences its continued disregard for the employer-tied migrant workers’ Charter rights and human dignity.”
On September 6, after a two-week visit to Canada, the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said that the closed work permit is almost a form of modern slavery “as they cannot denounce abuses suffered without fear of deportation.”
