Migrant Worker Health Care in Windsor-Essex County
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Caroline Hamm
Proposal
Migrant workers form the backbone of Canada’s agricultural industry, with more than 50,000 migrant agricultural workers hired annually that largely work in the Windsor-Essex region. Largely from Mexico, the Caribbean, Guatemala, Thailand and the Philippines, these workers are usually hired through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) through temporary contracts with no direct route to permanent residency. With employment in a relatively high-risk industry and the temporary nature of their residency, treatment of workers with critical illnesses is often interrupted by the end of their contracts, with the majority unable to access the same standard of healthcare in their country of origin. Additionally, many refuse to seek initial treatment due to fear of losing employment. Our research aims to understand and prevent this outcome through a multifaceted approach. Through a mixed methods research platform, in which we perform a retrospective case analysis, interview critically ill migrant workers, and collaborate with the Mexican consulate we strive to determine the impact of this interruption on the continuity of care and discover barriers faced in accessing treatment. Through surveying healthcare professionals in the Windsor-Essex region, we aim to discover barriers faced by healthcare practitioners and potential avenues of policy change to better support their care. The ultimate objective of this project is to reform Canada’s policy on the continuation of care for migrant workers. By allowing continuity of care for these critically ill migrants, Canada can fulfill an ethical obligation to support these temporary workers who play a vital component in our society.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Migrant Worker Health Care in Windsor-Essex County
Migrant workers form the backbone of Canada’s agricultural industry, with more than 50,000 migrant agricultural workers hired annually that largely work in the Windsor-Essex region. Largely from Mexico, the Caribbean, Guatemala, Thailand and the Philippines, these workers are usually hired through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) through temporary contracts with no direct route to permanent residency. With employment in a relatively high-risk industry and the temporary nature of their residency, treatment of workers with critical illnesses is often interrupted by the end of their contracts, with the majority unable to access the same standard of healthcare in their country of origin. Additionally, many refuse to seek initial treatment due to fear of losing employment. Our research aims to understand and prevent this outcome through a multifaceted approach. Through a mixed methods research platform, in which we perform a retrospective case analysis, interview critically ill migrant workers, and collaborate with the Mexican consulate we strive to determine the impact of this interruption on the continuity of care and discover barriers faced in accessing treatment. Through surveying healthcare professionals in the Windsor-Essex region, we aim to discover barriers faced by healthcare practitioners and potential avenues of policy change to better support their care. The ultimate objective of this project is to reform Canada’s policy on the continuation of care for migrant workers. By allowing continuity of care for these critically ill migrants, Canada can fulfill an ethical obligation to support these temporary workers who play a vital component in our society.