Safeguarding workers on temporary migration programmes: study

Methodology

This Report draws on a combination of primary and secondary data. Data was collected in two phases, firstly through desk-based research, including a literature review of risks in temporary migration programmes in the UK and worldwide, with a particular focus on analysis of Canada’s temporary migration programmes and the development of its OWPVW. The case study of Canada has been chosen because of the comparability of Canada’s asymmetric federal model with the UK’s asymmetrical devolution, within which the Scottish Parliament has responsibility for its devolved powers. The OWPVW is particularly relevant to Scotland as the Province of British Columbia (BC), which has shared responsibility for immigration with the federal Government of Canada, established an open work permit for at-risk temporary foreign workers pilot in BC from 2016-18. This work permit was subsequently adopted by the Government of Canada in federal policy as the OWPVW.

The desk-based research phase included review of relevant legal and policy documents relating to the development of the OWPVW and analysis of its implementation. Secondly primary data collection informed the case study development and involved qualitative semi-structured interviews with key informants working on design, implementation, and support for Canada’s OWPVW. For this phase, a total of six individual interviews and two focus group discussions with key informants were conducted. Interviews were conducted with one lawyer, two academics, three NGO staff members and three government officials. Transcribed interviews were coded and analysed using qualitative data analysis software, key themes drawn from the initial coding informed secondary data collection, further coding identified common issues and themes.