Filipino BC Responds to Calls to End Temporary Foreign Worker Programs

SEPTEMBER 5, 2025

Filipino BC is deeply concerned about recent comments calling for the elimination or overhaul of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). These remarks are misguided, harmful, and risk putting already vulnerable communities in even greater danger.

For decades, Filipino workers have played a vital role in sectors such as caregiving, agriculture, and long-term care—jobs that are critical to communities across British Columbia and Canada. It is especially troubling that many of these roles, which were deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now being scapegoated for governments’ immigration policy shortcomings. These are not jobs typically filled by young Canadians, and suggesting otherwise misrepresents the realities of the labour market while undermining sectors that rely on migrant workers to survive.

Youth are struggling to find their place in an evolving labour market. A recent report by Desjardins notes that the emerging gig-economy has become a dominant force, yet it often excludes young workers through age restrictions or barriers to entry. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar jobs—retail and other traditional entry-level opportunities—are disappearing. Youth unemployment will not be solved by targeting migrant workers in unrelated sectors, but by ensuring that young Canadians have fair access to emerging industries and meaningful opportunities in the economy of the future.The solution lies in creating more opportunities for young Canadians while honouring Canada’s commitments to migrant workers.

“As a country, we owe young Canadians a social contract,” said Kristina Corpin-Moser, Executive Director of Filipino BC. “If they go to school, pursue higher education, and work hard, there should be real opportunities waiting for them. That is what it means to be an innovative, job-creating nation. The solution is to invest in growth, innovation, and job creation—not to cut from sectors that depend on foreign workers, which will only make existing problems worse.”

Filipino BC further cautions against misinformation and misleading narratives.

It is irresponsible to conflate international student numbers with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, as these are distinct systems with different goals, policies, and impacts. Such oversimplified statements only spread confusion, fuel resentment, and making it easier for harmful stereotypes to spread and harder to build real, evidence-based solutions.

“When politicians frame migrant workers as the problem, they fuel racism, xenophobia, and scapegoating. Where safe and legal pathways are cut off, unsafe and illegal ones take their place, leaving workers at even greater risk. Politicians have a public obligation to ensure their words do not endanger racialized individuals,” said Corpin-Moser.

Workers themselves are already in precarious situations. Changes to programs such as the Live-in Caregiver Program have left many exposed to exploitation and unsafe conditions. In 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery warned that Canada’s TFW programs risk becoming “breeding grounds for modern slavery.” Reforms are urgently needed, but they must be developed thoughtfully and collaboratively—not as a way to scapegoat racialized workers for decades of policy failures across multiple governments.

Temporary foreign workers are not a problem to be eliminated. They are essential members of our communities who deserve respect, protection, and opportunity.