forced labour

Canada's border agency says it has detained about 50 shipments of cargo over suspicions they were products of forced labour under rules introduced in 2020 — but only one was eventually determined to be in breach of the ban.

"Canadian companies are expected to respect Canadian standards for human rights and environmental protection when they work outside of Canada," Sheri Meyerhoffer, who is the Canadian ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, told reporters.

Members of Parliament have unanimously called on Ottawa to start a refugee program to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs fleeing persecution in China.

Members of Parliament unanimously voted on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, to clamp down on modern slavery by backing a bill requiring Canadian companies to ensure they are not using forced labour or exploiting child workers overseas.

Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan says the Liberal government is planning legislation to make Canadian companies ensure that they are not using slave labour or exploiting child workers overseas.

The court case was led by individuals including former cabinet minister David Kilgour, who died this month, and humanitarian group Canadians in Support of Refugees in Dire Need.

A federally commissioned report looking at vendors who sold billions of dollars in goods to the government found the vast majority lacked adequate policies to prevent human and labour rights risks in their supply chains.

Canadian companies are being told to ensure they’re not importing Chinese goods produced through the forced labour of the Uighur religious minority group.