Immigration consulting firms need to be better regulated, says NDP MP

NDP MP Jenny Kwanis calling on the federal government to do more to protect temporary foreign workers from "unscrupulous"immigration consultant firms.

"Some people paid money to a consultant and ultimately came to Canada,only to be left on the sidewalk to no job that was promised to them, no residence and no support," said Kwan, thecritic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

She wants the government to take over the currently self-regulated industry.

• Foreign workers allege 'life savings' paid for Mac's jobs that didn't exist

Her calls for change comeafter a class action lawsuit was filed in B.C. Supreme Court and certified in September.

In the lawsuit, foreignworkers allege they paid thousands of dollars tosecure non-existent jobs at Mac's convenience stores in Western Canada.

• Read the judge's reason for certify the lawsuit

The four workers named in the suitallege they paid as much as $8,500 each in illegal fees toSurrey-based immigration consultant firms; Overseas Immigration Services Inc., Overseas Career and Consulting Services Ltd.and/or Trident Immigration Services Ltd.

Under Canada's temporary foreign worker program, immigration consultants are not permitted to charge fees for job placement and any recruitment costs must be paid by the employer.

Sri Lankan-native,Amila Pererais one of the migrant workers covered by by the lawsuit.

He said he left ajob in Dubai, sold his furniture, his wife's jewelry and borrowed money to be able to come workinCanada.

But he alleges when he arrived, there was no work.

He was told to wait for a position to become available.In the meantime, heclaims he was left to live in a basement suite in Surrey with three other workers.

"It was the worst basement I've ever seen," he said, alleging it was dirty with no room to sleep.

After a couple of weeks,he said, he was sent to Kitimat, B.C., to work as a cashier. But he claims the hours of work he was given were slowly reduced and he was left with little money and could not afford basic necessities.

The father of twosaid he risked everything in hopes of one day providing a better life and education for his children.

He hasn't seen them for four years.

"It's really a stressful life," he said.

The lawyers for the migrant workers allegethere could be over 450 people who had similar experiences when they were recruited by the consultants in Dubai.

'Why is that we allow this to happen?'

"Why is it that we allow this to happen?" saidKwan.

The Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it cannot comment on a court action, but it does have resources available on its website to help applicants avoid becoming victims of fraud.

It also said that immigration consulting firms must bea member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), aself-regulating body.

"TheICCRC,in my viewhas done,frankly, a really poor job," said Kwan.

Kwan is also calling on the government to better fund the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), so it is better equipped to carry out investigations in a timely manner.