another major barrier is cost, said elene lam, executive director of butterfly, an organization of sex workers, social, legal and health professionals that advocates for the rights of asian and migrant sex workers.
the migrant workers lam advocates for typically lack provincial health-care coverage, and are required to pay out of pocket, she said. depending on the stage of pregnancy, that can cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars and up to $1,500.
while many migrant workers can access public health care, not all of them can, said lindsay larios, assistant professor at the university of manitoba, who studies precarious migration and reproductive justice.
this can be a result of having to wait the three-month period after arrival, during which time they must rely on private insurance. to get it, their employers have to file paperwork that sometimes doesn’t get filed.
if they face issues with renewing work permits or visas, that can also mean a lapse in their immigration status.
when it comes to abortion, there is a lot of stigma around migrant workers having intimate or sexual relationships, said larios.
she cited research that shows migrant workers are told by officials in their home countries or in canada, or by their employers, that they should abstain from sexual relationships.