Someone remind me why we have an immigration office in Pakistan anyway. There are other countries where fraud is not an issue, but oh, I forgot about the immigration lobby here that prods the major parties to do what is not in the best interest of the country. Fighting the good fight we are told, helping the downtrodden.
Immigration officers tough it out in Pakistan | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
Immigration officers tough it out in Pakistan
BY DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS ,PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 05:05 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 05:13 PM EDT
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Jason Kenney. (Chris Roussakis/ QMI Agency)
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OTTAWA - Stressed out Canadian immigration officers in far-flung Islamabad are struggling to keep up with their workload while weeding out fraudsters, documents suggest.
The posting “requires hardy and committed officers who can take the pressure, day in and day out” far from family and friends, according to an internal Citizenship and Immigration Canada report acquired by lawyer Richard Kurland through access to information requests.
In early April, there were more than 5,000 family-class immigration cases pending at the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan.
“As corruption is endemic in both Pakistan and Afghanistan — including in state-regulated institutions — a high proportion of the (family-class) caseload involve civil status documents that are unreliable, fraudulent or are improperly issued or registered,” says the report.
There are also cultural challenges for immigration officers trying to separate fact from fiction while dealing with arranged marriages, “the vast majority of which take place between first cousins.”
The report indicates about half the caseload involves marriages where the sponsor and applicant first meet at the time of marriage or shortly beforehand.
Many other couples are married by proxy and have never met in person.
“This cultural context creates challenges in assessing the bona fides of spousal relationships and identifying marriages of convenience,” says the report.
Given the Islamist terrorist presence in northern Pakistan, staffers also worry about “national security and war crimes concerns.”
Kurland said that’s something the feds take very seriously.
“Canada has layers of internal security to protect and observe Canadian government employees overseas,” he said.
Immigration officers tough it out in Pakistan | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
Immigration officers tough it out in Pakistan
BY DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS ,PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 05:05 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 05:13 PM EDT
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Jason Kenney. (Chris Roussakis/ QMI Agency)
Change text size for the storyPrint this story
Report an error
Related Stories
Company fined $12,000 in illegal worker bust
Kenney rejects refugee health care concerns from provinces, doctors
Immigration changes should help curb human trafficking
Immigration officer admits scam
Teen arrested for heckling Immigration Minister Jason Kenney
Allegations of file sabotage by immigration lawyer, consultants
OTTAWA - Stressed out Canadian immigration officers in far-flung Islamabad are struggling to keep up with their workload while weeding out fraudsters, documents suggest.
The posting “requires hardy and committed officers who can take the pressure, day in and day out” far from family and friends, according to an internal Citizenship and Immigration Canada report acquired by lawyer Richard Kurland through access to information requests.
In early April, there were more than 5,000 family-class immigration cases pending at the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan.
“As corruption is endemic in both Pakistan and Afghanistan — including in state-regulated institutions — a high proportion of the (family-class) caseload involve civil status documents that are unreliable, fraudulent or are improperly issued or registered,” says the report.
There are also cultural challenges for immigration officers trying to separate fact from fiction while dealing with arranged marriages, “the vast majority of which take place between first cousins.”
The report indicates about half the caseload involves marriages where the sponsor and applicant first meet at the time of marriage or shortly beforehand.
Many other couples are married by proxy and have never met in person.
“This cultural context creates challenges in assessing the bona fides of spousal relationships and identifying marriages of convenience,” says the report.
Given the Islamist terrorist presence in northern Pakistan, staffers also worry about “national security and war crimes concerns.”
Kurland said that’s something the feds take very seriously.
“Canada has layers of internal security to protect and observe Canadian government employees overseas,” he said.