Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers

This thorough and damning account from journalist Di Cintio (Driven) profiles migrant workers who traveled to Canada from Costa Rica, India, and the Philippines under the Temporary Foreign Worker program and found themselves subjected to inhumane and dangerous working conditions. Delving into the history of the program, which was founded in 1973, and its inner workings, he argues that it is inherently flawed, as it allows the workers to be drastically taken advantage of due to restrictions that keep them from moving jobs and, in some instances, from receiving medical care. While some business owners and other stakeholders Di Cintio speaks with concede that “our migrant labour system allows bad actors to act badly,” Di Cintio goes further, arguing that “the problem isn’t a few bad apples,” and that the system is in fact working as designed, in a punitive and harmful manner. He does so via tangential explorations of the exploitative situations faced by other migrants ranging from foreign students studying in Canada to human-trafficking victims. While offering precise and useful insights into the Canadian system, Di Cintio also provides rich food for thought about the role migration plays in the global order. It’s worth a look for anyone concerned about the harsh treatment of migrants. (Sept.)