Tough rules urged for immigration consultants
Nicholas Keung
Jim Rankin
STAFF REPORTERS
The Toronto Star
Jun 13, 2008 04:30 AM
The organization that oversees immigration consultants is toothless and should be dismantled, replaced by a statutory body empowered to go after unscrupulous advisers who prey on vulnerable migrants, urges a report tabled in the House of Commons yesterday.
The report by the standing committee on citizenship and immigration, following three months of cross-country consultation hearings examining issues facing Canada's immigration system, found the current regulatory model is full of glaring loopholes that allows anyone to call themselves an immigration consultant and to operate with little or no scrutiny.
The introduction of an “Immigration Consultants Society Act” to govern such professionals is a key recommendation by the all-party committee. It proposes a new regulatory body be set up to run like a provincial law society and have the power to pursue and punish non-members who pass themselves off as consultants. The committee, however, says the federal government must assist in re-establishing the new body and remain involved until it is off the ground.
The committee's report to be followed by two others on temporary foreign workers and Iraqi refugee resettlement comes a year after a Star investigation found serious flaws with the 4-year-old Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), the current organization set up in 2004 to protect would-be immigrants, sponsoring families and refugees who place their trust and money in the hands of consultants.
“The committee believes that problems at CSIC are attributable to more than just growing pains,” said the 30-page report. “Fundamentally, the Society has not been given the tools it needs to succeed as a regulator … (and) has no power to sanction immigration consultants who are not members of the Society.”
The report also lashed out at the mismanagement of the regulator's board, which has drawn numerous complaints from its roughly 1,000 members for its lack of transparency, accountability and democracy.
Janet Dench, of the Canadian Council for Refugees, said the report reflects the advocacy community's feelings toward consultants.
“We have seen immigrants and refugees being exploited and abused for so many years, the question is whether there is a will for the government to make things happen and better look after migrants' interests,” she said. CSIC could not be reached for comment.
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Part 1: Lost in Migration
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Part 2: The Star undercover (with videos)
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Video: One consultant's advice
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Part 3: Watchdog needs teeth
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Migrants' dreams shattered
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What you need to know (in 10 languages)
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Voices: Response to our series
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Preying on immigrants unchecked: Lawyers (July 16)
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Star series sparks Opposition fury
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Editorial: Only government can end abuses
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Comment: Victimized and neglected
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How we conducted this investigation
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Snapshots of Canadian immigration (Flash)
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Graphs: Refuge and Acceptance
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Step-by-step: Applying for refugee status
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Background
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Consultants: By the numbers
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Backlog swamps South Asians
South Asians are disproportionately hard hit by visa quotas and huge backlogs for immigrants, government numbers obtained through a freedom of information request show.
