The Labour Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of Jamaican farm workers in Canada.

This follows a report by Amnesty International regarding the alleged experiences of some migrant workers under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Programme (TFWP), including the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP).

The report, which involved 44 migrant workers from 14 countries between February 2023 and June 2024 revealed widespread exploitation and poor conditions within the TFWP, a program that annually brings thousands of Jamaican workers to Canada.

The report highlighted several cases of alleged unsafe working environments and other serious allegations of human rights violations.

However, Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. expressed concern that the report only captures the alleged experiences of 44 migrants, when more than nine thousand Jamaicans participate in the programme.

He maintained that the Government has taken several steps to ensure that the programme is improved.