CILA has released a major new report entitled The State of Immigration Fraud in Canada.
- Click here to read the report
- Media are invited to contact CILA at: research@cila.co
March is the Government of Canada’s Fraud Prevention Month. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shares information each March on how to spot common warning signs to help immigrants to be equipped to recognize, reject, and report potential fraud and scams.
Canada’s immigration system has faced growing challenges due to rising incidents of immigration fraud, misrepresentation, and unethical behaviour. As an example, IRCC refused over 52,000 temporary residence applications due to misrepresentation in the first six months of 2024 alone. This compares with some 46,000 temporary residence applications refused due to misrepresentation in all of 2023, and nearly 26,000 applications in all of 2022.
Why has the rate of misrepresentation findings increased by 100 per cent over a period where temporary residence applications have increased by 25 per cent? It is possible one, or both of these variables are at play: 1) there are an increasing number of bad actors that seek to exploit the immigration system for gain; 2) IRCC and Canada Border Services Agency integrity efforts are detecting more misrepresentation.
“Addressing fraud is essential to strengthening public trust and the integrity of the immigration system,” said Marina Sedai, Chair of CILA’s Ethics Committee.
“Fraudulent practices undermine fairness, perpetuate exploitation, and disadvantage honest applicants. As such, the CILA Ethics Committee offers 10 recommendations on how Canada can mitigate fraud and strengthen its immigration framework to protect those it aims to serve.”
The report’s 10 recommendations are:
- Enhance regulation, monitoring, and enforcement including by launching an Expert Task Force to Combat Ghost Consultants
- Promote education resources, campaigns, and support services
- Establish a fraud reporting system with whistleblower protection
- Develop stricter penalties for bad actors
- Strengthen the role of regulators for authorized representatives
- Implement a victims compensation fund
- Provide immediate relief for victims
- Create an IRCC Ombud Office to address complaints and system inefficiencies
- Increase transparency and oversight
- Mandate declarations for applicants who do not file a Use of a Representative Form
About the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association:
CILA was conceived in 2020 by a group of leading immigration lawyers to provide a national organization focused exclusively on immigration law. CILA’s Founding Members recognized the need to create an organization capable of effectively representing the immigration bar, fostering an independent community of immigration lawyers, law students and academics, providing professional resources, mentorship and affordability for our members, while engaging with stakeholders to promote the rule of law, access to justice and improvements to the Canadian immigration system.
Advocacy is deeply ingrained in CILA. Our advocacy work centers on promoting fairness and inclusiveness in immigration law through active engagement in public discourse. Our advocacy is based on the expertise of over 540 immigration and refugee lawyers across Canada who have daily experience of assisting people from around the world who look to us for advice and support. As such, we strive to be the clear voice of our clients in advocating for reform. Our work includes collaboration with government officials, members of parliament, cabinet members, and front-line officers who administer Canada’s immigration system.
