There are 8,000 migrant workers in Essex County and a local conference was hosted at the University of Windsor to discuss ways to protect their rights.
Local researchers have documented various issues migrant workers face -- such as stress, intimidation and even the threat of deportation if they don't work fast enough.
The hope is that by gathering all stakeholders -- from migrant workers to farmers to legislators -- they will be able to identify issues, and resolve them.
According to UWindsor researcher Tanya Basok, they are making some progress.
She tells CTV News the federal government has put forth a new law that will allow migrant workers to apply for transfers between employers without risk of losing their work visa.
“I think they're moving in the right direction due to researchers documenting the problem and activists speaking about the problems they identify,” says Basok.
The conference also looked at issues around migrant worker safety and communication challenges.
Officials hope events like the one held Friday will increase communication between farmers and their workers so everyone feels confident in their work environment.
