Ontario Seeks Heavy New Fines for Employers Who Withhold Workers’ Passports

Ontario Seeks Heavy New Fines for Employers Who Withhold Workers’ Passports
Migrant workers harvest strawberries at a farm near Oxnard, Calif. Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images
Matthew Horwood
Updated:

Under new labour laws introduced on March 20, Ontario employers convicted of withholding foreign workers’ passports or work permits could face the highest maximum fines in Canada.

“My message to those scumbags out there abusing migrant workers is this: you can run, but you can’t hide. We will find you, fine you, and put you behind bars,” Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said during a March 20 press conference.