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Foreign diplomats posted to Canada who want to hire domestic helpers from outside the country must first explain in writing what steps they took to hire someone locally, according to new guidelines issued by the federal government this month.

Further, only senior diplomatic officials will now be eligible to hire household workers from abroad.

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The new rules come at a time when the government has been restricting several embassies and high commissions from hiring new domestic workers because of concerns about exploitation.

Some critics say the government could be doing even more to tackle the problem. Lucia Spencer, executive director of Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, said her agency has helped two women who fled diplomatic households in the past year because of emotional and verbal abuse and long hours. She suspects there are many more out there in similar situations but who are too fearful to come forward.