D’s journey: A promise betrayed, a voice for change
Part of the “Migrant voices: truth and transformation” Docuseries
D* left her home in South Asia, carrying more than her suitcase. She carried hope. An experienced manager and community leader, D aspired to skillfully contribute to a country that promised opportunity, safety and a better life for her family
When a Canadian recruitment agency reached out to her with an offer, she believed it. She received official job letters from a registered business and the reassurance that everything was “government-approved”. It appeared legitimate.
The agency informed her that the process included paying a “tax for taking a foreign national to work in Canada.” To pay for it, she drew from her family’s savings from years of hard work.
“They told me it was for the betterment of my family. They said everything was legal and registered. So, I believed them.”
What awaited her, however, was a devastating truth: the job never existed.
The arrival: hope meets reality
When D arrived in Canada, there was no one to meet her. She found herself alone in a foreign country with no job, no shelter, no food and no winter clothing for the cold she had never before experienced.
“I came for something which didn’t exist. I didn’t know how to find food, where to stay, how to breathe,” D said.
She realized she had been lured into a system of deceit that preys on people’s hopes for a better life.
The hidden cost: debt and deception
D’s case is not unique. Across Canada, thousands of migrant workers continue to fall victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes and illegal job brokers who exploit loopholes in the country’s immigration and labour systems. This problem has persisted for decades despite multiple government reviews and community-led advocacy.
“The system has loopholes, and even smart people misinterpret those things. Please make these agencies accountable,” D said calling on Canada to close the legal loopholes, strengthen oversight and ensure that no one can profit from human desperation.
D’s recruitment experience was framed as part of a legal pathway to work in Canada. The consultants assured her that all documents were “government approved” and that her payment was a “tax for taking a foreign national to work in Canada.” Although she was never formally enrolled in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the deception relied on its image as Canada’s main route for hiring international labour.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, now more than fifty years old, continues to create conditions where third-party recruiters can exploit workers before they arrive. While Canada advertises opportunity and fairness, the program’s dependency on temporary and employer-tied permits often leaves migrant workers indebted, isolated, and vulnerable to abuse. Recruiters frequently promise permanent residency and family reunification, yet those pathways rarely exist in practice.
For D, those promises shaped her decision to come to Canada. She believed she was entering a legitimate, government-sanctioned process that could lead to stability for herself and her family. What she encountered instead was a system that allowed deception to flourish in its shadow.
D speaks with a quiet but powerful resolve for herself and every worker who has been silenced by fear, shame or immigration barriers.
She reminds us that behind every migrant worker in Canada is a person with dreams, dignity and courage.
Despite everything she has endured, D’s hope remains unbroken. Today, she continues to navigate life in Canada while seeking stability and legal recognition. Like many who arrive through deceptive recruitment schemes, she faces barriers to finding formal employment because her status remains uncertain.
Separated from her family, she dreams of reunion and a future where she can live and work without fear. In her words, she still hopes “to develop my skills, to work for the community, and to reunite with my family.”
Her story is not one of defeat, but of resilience — a reminder that the fight for migrant justice must include real pathways to safety and permanent residency for those who have already sacrificed so much to be here.
How you can help:
At KAIROS, we believe that stories like D’s demand not only compassion but change. We continue to advocate for:
- An end to debt-driven migration.
- Accountability for recruitment agencies and brokers.
- Pathways to permanent residency for all migrant workers.
- Recognition of climate and economic displacement as grounds for protection.
D’s story is one of truth-telling, a mirror reflecting the urgent need for justice in Canada’s labour and migration systems.
Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1320482992815827
If D’s courage moved you, we invite you to support KAIROS’ Migrant Justice work. Your contribution helps us to highlight these voices, educate communities and build a Canada where no worker is disposable. Donate to the Migrant Justice Program: Together, we can turn stories of exploitation into stories of transformation.
* For her safety, we are substituting D’s real name with her first initial.
By Leah Shifferaw, Migrant Justice Team Lead
