TEHRAN- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Friday that the scourge of slavery is still present in the Canadian government’s policy in several contemporary guises.

Kanaani’s remarks followed a statement on Wednesday by Tomoya Obokata, the special rapporteur for the UN Human Rights Council, who on Wednesday argued that Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs serve as a haven for modern-day slavery in his statement.

Regarding the worldwide scourge of modern slavery at the conclusion of his 14-day tour to Canada, Obokata asked the Ottawa government to take more measures to safeguard workers and give all immigrants a clear path to permanent residency. 

The UN representative expressed his “deeply disturbed” response to the migrant workers’ tales of abuse and exploitation.

The number of indigenous women and girls who disappear or are killed, frequently as a result of being kidnapped for forced labor or sexual exploitation, also caused Obokata great anxiety.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the recent devastating report by the UN special rapporteur on modern forms of slavery is concerning and reveals the actual character of the Canadian government’s discriminatory human rights practices.

Kanaani prioritized the dignity of Indigenous Peoples and migrant labor in Canada. He also urged human rights organizations to take the problem seriously.

The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA) reported in April that the number of women and girls slain in Canada has climbed dramatically over the last five years.