Concern with regards to food insecurity facing Nova Scotia migrant workers in self-isolation
Examples of food served to migrant workers during the 14-day self-isolation period in Nova Scotia hotels
To the Office of the Premier of Nova Scotia, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, and the Minister of Health and Wellness:
We are writing to express our concerns about the lack of physical access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food for migrant workers in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, including those in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, while in the 14-day self-isolation period. These concerns are based on regular accounts we have been receiving from Jamaican and Mexican migrant workers.
Their concerns include lack of access to culturally relevant food, lack of variety of food, poor quality food, and improper food preparation during their self-isolation period in various hotels in Nova Scotia. Moreover, migrant workers at the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre in Cornwallis are being prohibited from accessing food through food delivery services. Migrant workers have been told that the only outside food sources they are permitted is that which is brought by their employers. Migrant workers are community members who contribute significantly to our food system and yet they are going hungry. There is no justification for any of these conditions.
We implore your government to address this urgent matter. In particular, we call on the Nova Scotia government to ensure:
● migrant workers are self-isolating in hotels that either procure or prepare meals that are culturally relevant;
● migrant workers are provided with a choice of food, for example, a menu with three different meal options;
● that the provision of food and services to migrant workers self-isolating in hotels adheres to the Nova Scotian Human Rights Act, including not limiting their access to food delivery services;
● migrant workers are self-isolating in rooms equipped with a kettle and/or microwave, so that they are able to supplement their meals with foods which require heating
In closing, we urge the Nova Scotian government to take action to ensure that migrant workers are treated with dignity and not going hungry during their 14 day self-isolation period in this province.
Respectfully,
Migrant Worker Rights Working Group