While the Canadian program for migrant domestic workers offers among the best conditions internationally, it shares two features in common with worldwide policies and treatment of foreign household workers. These are: 1) the inherent asymmetry in citizenship statuses and rights of employers and their domestic employees; and 2) the expectation that employees will 'live in' their employers' homes. Enforcement of rights of foreign domestics is also complicated by shared, yet ambiguous jurisdiction over foreign domestics of the federal and provincial governments. These conditions render foreign domestic workers vulnerable to all forms of abuse. They have not been eliminated despite impressive organizing and advocacy among these migrant workers and their allies. The challenges of finding adequate protection against abuse by domestic workers in Canada and elsewhere are explored by examining the policies of labor sending and labor receiving countries, and international conventions. A significant development in domestic workers organizations is the linking of campaigns for migrant worker rights to global efforts to address the causes of unemployment and migration.

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Migrant Workers legislation Americas law economics Developed Countries policy socioeconomic status human rights North America social status health care manpower Health Manpower Canada Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Western Hemisphere Resistance Article employment status migration developed country Economic Factors Transients and Migrants social class Northern America Human Resources public policy employment Labor Force Occupational Status immigrant population