A temporary foreign worker from Mexico is shown on a berry farm in Mirabel, Que., Wednesday, May 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL – A new study from a Montreal research institute for occupational health and safety estimates that up to 80 per cent of people who are injured at work in the city and require rehabilitation are immigrants.
Jessica Dubé, a researcher with the Robert-Sauvé institute, says the province’s workplace health and safety board reports that the majority of cases involve immigrants – compared to a decade ago when the majority involved Québécois workers.
Dubé says the rise in injuries involving immigrants can be partly explained by the increase in Montreal’s immigrant population and by the sectors that they choose to work in.
The study shows that some industries that lead to many injuries – and that include a high percentage of immigrants – include agriculture, manufacturing and health and social services, which tend to involve long hours, gruelling work and manual labour.
Dubé called the findings “worrisome” and said that one of the goals of the study is to raise awareness of the situation.
The study is ongoing and the complete findings will only be presented in June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022.
–
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
