“I am deeply disturbed by the accounts of exploitation and abuse shared with me by migrant workers,” he said

“Employer-specific work permit regimes, including certain Temporary Foreign Worker Programmes, make migrant workers vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery, as they cannot report abuses without fear of deportation,” Obokata said.

He acknowledged recent policies enacted to promote human rights across the business sector such as the creation of a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) and other codes of conduct.

But he emphasized the need to regularize the status of foreign migrant workers, citing their valuable skills the bring to the economy.

“I urge the Government to bring forward legislation requiring Canadian companies to implement mandatory human rights due diligence, and expand the independence, powers, and mandate of the CORE,” he said.