As Newfoundland and Labrador increasingly relies on newcomer and migrant workers to prop up key industries, but human rights advocates are warning that labor trafficking is rising—fuelled by Canada’s deeply flawed Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). While official reports in the province remain relatively low, experts stress this is not a sign of safety. Rather, it is a sign that silence is being driven by fear, isolation, and structural vulnerability.

According to a new report from the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, reports of suspected labor trafficking across Canada rose by 317 percent in 2024 compared to previous years. Julia Drydyk, the Centre’s executive director, points to the root of the problem in an article by The Independent:

 Migrant workers are made vulnerable by structural inequities built into the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. When employers seize on those vulnerabilities, it creates the conditions in which exploitation can take hold.

Political concern without protection

Despite mounting evidence, Newfoundland and Labrador’s political leadership has yet to commit to meaningful reform. Premier Tony Wakeham said he was “proud to be a pro-trades-union premier.” But when asked directly whether his government would legislate protections for migrant workers, his response fell short.

For advocates, concern without action is not enough. Dolores Mullings, a professor at Memorial University’s School of Social Work, is clear: “Being concerned is not enough. You have to have actions behind that.”

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