Press Release: Migrant farm workers in NS face significant barriers to mental health care, new report finds
HALIFAX, NS (May 4, 2026) – As Mental Health Week begins in Canada, a new report calls for urgent government action to address the mental and emotional health challenges facing migrant farm workers in Nova Scotia.
“When you get here, it's all loneliness,” said a migrant worker from Guatemala who participated in the study. “You look at the walls.”
On March 31, the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia (CMWR NS) released "Heavy Hearts and Minds: Mental and Emotional Well-Being Among Migrant Agricultural Workers in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley." It is the first study to examine the mental and emotional health of migrant workers in Nova Scotia.
In 2023, there were 4,145 migrant workers employed in the province, with nearly half (1,964) in agriculture. That same year, almost one in three agricultural workers (32%) in the province were migrant workers. With the start of the 2026 growing season, migrant workers are beginning to return to Nova Scotia.
“Heavy Hearts and Minds” draws on the accounts of migrant workers employed in Nova Scotia through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in 2025. It includes 70 participants from Jamaica, Mexico and Guatemala.
In 2024, a report from the United Nations described Canada’s TFWP as a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.” This assessment reflects key features of the program, particularly the fact that most migrant workers are tied to a single employer who controls their immigration status, working conditions, and often their housing.
“Heavy Hearts and Minds” finds workers experience significant emotional and mental strain due to several factors built into the TFWP. The top sources of emotional distress reported were: family separation (80%), challenging working conditions (43%), poor living conditions (34%) and restrictive work permits (30%). Additionally, nearly half (48%) reported experiencing discrimination in Nova Scotian communities, which 16% cited as a key source of emotional distress.
Mental and emotional strain was common among those surveyed, with 75% of survey respondents reporting feeling sad or depressed at times, and 73% reporting feeling worried or stressed at times.
At the same time, migrant workers reported little use of mental health support, and significant barriers to accessing healthcare because of their precarious worker status. Overall, 86% have not accessed any mental health support in Nova Scotia, and over three-quarters (77%) worry they could lose their job if they take time off for physical or mental health needs.
“They would want you to work every living day,” reported a Jamaican migrant worker. “They want you to work seven days of the week and you cannot object.”
The report calls for urgent action from all levels of government to address the concerns raised by migrant workers in the report:
Federal: Open work permits on arrival, permanent residence on arrival, policies that allow migrant workers to bring their families with them while working in Canada, and continued investment in the Migrant Workers Support program.
Provincial: Increase the minimum wage, strengthen labour protections, MSI on arrival, and provide funding for targeted mental health supports for migrant workers.
Municipal: Improve public transportation and address racism faced by migrant workers in local communities.
“Heavy Hearts and Minds” was authored by a team from CMWR NS: Natalie Abdou, Stacey Gomez, and Aleida Rodriguez. The research was conducted in partnership with Dr. Andrés Arteaga at Saint Mary’s University. The project was supported with a grant from the Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association.
CMWR NS is a community-based organization dedicated to advancing the rights, equality, and well-being of migrant workers, also known as Temporary Foreign Workers, across the province.
