A northeastern New Brunswick seafood processing plant has been hit with a $1 million fine and a 10-year ban from the federal temporary foreign worker (TFW) program, marking the stiffest penalty ever issued for mistreating migrant employees.

Social Development Canada announced the sanctions on Monday against Bolero Shellfish Processing Inc., citing failures to pay proper wages, adhere to labour laws, and ensure abuse-free workplaces. The infractions include physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse, as well as mismatches between job offers and actual conditions, as reported by the Telegraph Journal.

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"This is the biggest penalty ever issued by the department," the ministry stated, emphasizing zero tolerance for program misuse.

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Employers are supposed to provide safe, dignified conditions for TFWs that are verified through inspections — but Bolero has a history of falling short. Federal records show prior discipline in 2020, resulting in a $2,000 fine for similar violations.

The case stems from a four-year investigation triggered by complaints from three TFWs at the plant, which employs mostly locals. Of the roughly 290 to 350 workforce, 18 to 20 are migrants.

Owner Gabriel Elbaz of Montreal-based Sogelco International, which operates Bolero and a P.E.I. facility, decried the probe as overreach by "federal officials playing police officer." In an interview with Brunswick News, he insisted his workers are "lucky to be in our country" and receive top-tier treatment, including shuttle-equipped housing in a converted school described as a "state-of-the-art private hotel."

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Elbaz claimed that a $12,000 bonus dispute was the spark for the investigation, alleging it ballooned into nitpicking over details such as the availability of bathroom toiletries.

He compared the 10-year ban to a murder sentence in severity, calling it "nonsensical” and warning it could jeopardize hundreds of jobs.

The company is planning a legal review, but Elbaz noted that taking on the government isn’t feasible.

This penalty underscores long-festering issues with the temporary foreign worker program, where a 2021 ESDC evaluation report exposed employers dodging promised wages, paying cash under the table to those with expired permits at below-market rates, and coercing workers into unpaid extra labour like cleaning or driving in brutal weather.

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Some even forced TFWs to fork over a cut of their earnings to cover Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) fees, turning what was supposed to be a support program into a predatory racket. The report also warned of broader wage suppression risks rippling into the very industry in question: fish packing.

Yet the Liberal government let four more years drag by, until the scandal became too big to ignore.