Hundreds of South Koreans expected to work at the NextStar EV battery factory in Windsor, Ontario, Canada are legally eligible to work in Canada under a 2015 free trade agreement negotiated and implemented by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Conservative government, reports CBC. Concerns were raised about foreign workers coming to Canada when a social media post by Windsor Police suggested up to 1,600 South Koreans would require accommodations during their employment at the facility.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre responded to the news by demanding a "full inquiry into how many of these taxpayer-funded jobs are going to temporary foreign workers," saying the CAD 15 billion (USD 10.9 billion) in federal support for the facility should only fund jobs for Canadians. Four Liberal ministers tried to calm tensions around the issue Tuesday, explaining that the South Koreans are eligible to work in Canada under labour mobility provisions contained in the free trade agreement that came into force shortly before Poilievre was named employment minister in 2015.

"We do have a free trade agreement with South Korea. And under Article 186 of that agreement, people do come and go on business visas, or visa-free, and they can stay if they are within the ambit of the reasons why they're here," Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters after a federal cabinet meeting Tuesday. "If they're not, the [Canada Border Services Agency] will investigate.”