Policies Research Internship Insights Series
Invisible Patients of Rural Canada: Policy Options to Improve Healthcare Access for Temporary Foreign Workers in Rural Communities
Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) play a critical role in sustaining Canada’s economy, particularly in sectors experiencing persistentlabourshortages such as agriculture, food processing, construction, and healthcare. Since the establishment of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in 1973, Canada has increasingly relied on migrantlabourto support essential industries across the country (House of Commons, 2016). In recent years, TFWs have contributedsubstantially tothe Canadian economy, including significant participation in rural industries wherelabourshortagesremainacute.
Racism and Social Exclusion as Barriers to Immigrant Retention in Rural Alberta
Alberta’s Rural Renewal Stream was developed to support rural immigration by helping communities recruit skilled newcomers to addresslabourshortages and stimulate local economic growth. While the program has improved recruitment opportunities, it gives limited attention to the social conditions that influence whether immigrantsremainin rural communities over the long term. Racism, social exclusion, inadequate settlement infrastructure, and limited access to ethnocultural and religious supports continue to weaken newcomers’ sense of belonging and contribute tooutmigration towardurbancentres.
