Canada: sucker nation Part IV
Diane Francis
The National Post
Posted: August 19, 2008, 7:18 AM
Greed, Canadian Politics, fraud
The latest issue of Lexbase, the depressing journal of immigration abuses and shenanigans in courts published by Vancouver lawyer Richard Kurland, illustrates the sucker nation series that I wrote about.
Of the past issue's dozens of cases, several are based on the type of phony residency scams that I wrote about, pulled off by so many “owners”of the empty condos in Vancouver and Toronto. These apartments, owned by the scammers or rented to them by immigration rings, are usually empty because they are addresses of convenience.
Owners work abroad tax-free but pretend to reside in Canada to qualify for immigration, health care and other entitlements and ultimately citizenship for themselves and relatives.
Kurland documents several cases of Asians who have been caught pretending they are here when they are not. Another involves someone whose relative, probably on healthcare, pension or other welfare benefits, was unable to prove that the person was in Canada. Ever.
Other “high lights”, or rather low lights, included:
— Asian caregivers who are illegal.
— A missing “poison pen” letter sent to Canada's Saudi Arabian embassy blowing the whistle on a bunch of people breaking Canadian immigration rules. Can't be found apparently.
— Student visa scams, people who didn't really qualify to study or who another who came as a student, lied about how much money he had to support himself then applied as refugees.
— Deportation of a chronic shoplifter
— A guy who lied about his financial background to qualify as an entrepreneur-immigrant
— A new Mexican scam which involves people who claim they are in danger from the Mexican government.[]
— Another Mexican scam which involves people who have lived for years in the U.S., probably illegals, and should be deported immediately to the U.S. as their “last safe entry point” but want to remain as refugees.
— An Israeli deserter who has applied as a refugee
— The American deserter who didn't want to do another tour in Iraq was ordered deported. Immigration/refugee rules require that people from decent countries pursue their legal remedies at home first then if they are abused and can prove it may be considered for refugee status here. It's all a con and they sucker Canada out of welfare, housing, legal aid, healthcare and other funds.
— Another case where a guy was let into the country as a fleeing refugee after the immigration officer mistakenly relied on a Wikipedia entry about the region in Central Asia the guy was from. And the Wikipedia entry was wrong, as are many because they can be edited.
[]– Another fugitive who claimed the Interpol warrant against him was fake.
And these are just the cases during the summer ruled on by courts. The pending cases amount to the tens of thousands and the litigants are supported financially by Canadian taxpayers while they await their days in court.
What a joke.
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Residency fraud revisited
In a previous post, May 27, I wrote about this issue based on a source with the initials WS, a Canadian:
Im 39 and Ive worked all over the world (Asia, Europe, Canada and the U.S.) I recently returned to a top American Ivy League school for a masters. I was stunned to discover the degree to which Canadian immigration is being abused.
I had dinner with six good buddies, all from `questionable foreign countries [Pakistan, Syria], all great guys and I found out[] they were all `Canadian, he said. None of these guys has spent more than a few weeks in Canada. Yet four were citizens and two were permanent residents who will become full blown citizens shortly.
They come from rich families in corrupt countries and they travel the world freely on our passports, without ever paying a dime in tax. Heres how it works:
Extremely rich people from corrupt countries apply for permanent residency at their local embassy and it is my guess that their certain `special influence is exerted so they can get themselves and members of the family into Canada as immigrants.
They visit Canada for a few weeks, get bank accounts, buy a condo then hit the road and leave Canada, letting the clock tick until they qualify for Canadian citizenship.
Once they have a passport the party begins and they can come back and forth to use our services at will without contributing to taxes.
These people are rich beyond our wildest dreams. A spare condo in Toronto [or Vancouver] is chump change if one looks upon it as [free entitlements like health care], needed `insurance against a collapse at home or a change in []government.
He left school and began a management consulting job in the U.S. where the story was the same.
I started chatting with a guy from India who was a landed immigrant even though he had never even visited Canada. He obtained his residence permit by applying in Singapore, then moved directly to the U.S. where he studied at a mediocre school.
He is trying to become a permanent U.S. resident and when I suggested that he could just work for a Canadian bank in Toronto, where salaries were roughly the same, he looked utterly disgusted that I could even make such a suggestion,
I assure you, he will get our passport and use us like dogs: travel and work worldwide without paying a dollar in taxes or giving a damn about the place. Its a step up to a more respected passport for free.
Now his wife is pregnant and they plan on having the kid, free, in Canada.
This is so common in the U.S. that I just stopped paying attention. But it is important and relevant because these not only cheapening the Canadian good name but they are taking up previous immigration seats that our economy desperately needs. Furthermore, processing each permanent resident and new citizen costs money.
He also pointed out that Sweden, where he lived for three years, is wise to fraudsters:
You cannot get permanent residency easily or by buying in by investing in a condo of a hundred thousand or so.
Secondly, once one has permanent residence, you cannot leave Sweden for more than two months except under special circumstances which must be approved in advance by government.
