Housing conditions 'inadequate and undignified' for migrant farm workers, researchers say

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Kitchener-Waterloo·New

The guidance document, called the National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers, was released connected Friday astatine the Balsillie School of International Affairs successful Waterloo. It was inspired by decades of probe showing however mediocre lodging conditions led to preventable deaths of migrant workplace workers successful Ontario.

Group wants each levels of authorities to work their caller lodging line and instrumentality action

Aastha Shetty · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 3:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 41 minutes ago

2 erstwhile migrant workers item their experiences surviving connected Ontario farms

Tyrell Mills and his uncle Clifford McLiesh person worked arsenic migrant workers for aggregate years connected Ontario farms. They spoke to CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty astir their acquisition surviving successful on-farm lodging they accidental was soiled and unkempt. Mills and McLiesh were astatine the Balsillie School of International Affairs successful Waterloo connected Friday to perceive much astir a caller guidance papers called the National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers. It was enactment unneurotic by a squad of researchers and experts from crossed the state who privation each levels of authorities to work the study and instrumentality enactment connected the recommendations to support migrant workplace workers safe.

Researchers and experts from a fistful of Canadian universities person developed a caller guidance papers to assistance migrant workers unrecorded healthier lives connected farms.

The guidance document, called the National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers, was released past week astatine the Balsillie School of International Affairs successful Waterloo.

A radical of 29 activists, experts and clinicians from crossed Canada, including immoderate from Wilfrid Laurier University successful Waterloo, helped make the caller guidance document.

It was inspired by decades of probe showing however mediocre lodging conditions led to preventable deaths successful Ontario.

It was truthful dirty. The windows person ne'er been open... and rats travel to devour meal with us.- Tyrell Mills, migrant worker

Susana Caxaj, one of the pb authors of the guidance document, says they're hoping it volition assistance acceptable a caller modular for farms employing migrant workers crossed Canada.

"The world is that adjacent erstwhile lodging does conscionable existent regulations, it is incredibly inadequate and undignified," she said.

"The papers details each magnitude of lodging you mightiness spot from the astir accepted to washrooms, h2o quality... exposures to pesticides and... with clime change, heating issues are peculiarly disproportionately affecting migrant cultivation workers."

'I couldn't adjacent sleep'

Tyrell Mills came to Canada from Jamaica successful September 2023 arsenic a migrant idiosyncratic for a workplace successful Colborne Township, eastbound of Toronto.

He says helium endured unsanitary housing conditions portion surviving there.

"Around 7 of america had to stock one restroom. There were bunk bends and they are very, precise filthy," helium said.

"To beryllium frank, I couldn't adjacent sleep. I person to beryllium up the full nighttime origin I was truly upset. I was similar 'What's this? I didn't came present for this.'... It was truthful dirty. The windows person ne'er been opened... and rats travel to devour meal with us."

Mills worked astatine that Colborne workplace alongside his uncle, Clifford McLiesh.

McLiesh archetypal worked as a migrant idiosyncratic successful Ontario successful 2002 and near 2 years later. He past came backmost successful 2023 and helium said his wellness has suffered.

"We don't person a heating system... I get infected with a fungus determination from the bathroom. It was each implicit my skin. I was scratching and I went to the doc to get tablets to get it disconnected me," helium said.

"[Raising lodging standards] is really bully due to the fact that you [need] clean and due housing. It eliminates the bacteria, the germs and it doesn't spread. One feline tin infect the different feline until the full workplace gets infected."

5 recommendations

The National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers papers has 5 recommendations to amended lodging conditions for migrant workers:

Appropriate lodging and meaningful enforcement with regular inspections and well-constructed residential lodging with windows, lights and insulation.
Privacy, security, entree and state with reliable transportation, communication, entree to services, greater state and timely aesculapian attraction among different basal rights.
Dignified surviving conditions with capable furnishings and appliances with surviving quarters that are backstage and comfortable.
Health and information successful lodging with monitored vulnerability to pesticides, rodents and mould. Access to aerial conditioning, cleanable h2o and cleanable bathrooms.
Ensuring each levels of authorities play a relation erstwhile it comes to funding, coordination and training. Enforce liveable wage policies with national practice and the quality to self-advocate for capable housing.

You tin work the afloat study connected the Migrants Intersecting Experiences with Housing successful Agriculture website, wherever Caxaj is simply a rule investigator.

LISTEN| Laurier researchers assistance make moving information guidance for migrant workplace workers:

The Morning Edition - K-W5:24Laurier researchers assistance make moving information guidance for migrant workplace workers

A radical of researchers person helped make a caller guidance papers to forestall deaths of migrant workers connected Ontario farms. The papers was released past week successful Waterloo. CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty was there, and shared what she heard.