Health bond for immigrants mulled

By: Staff Writer

OTTAWA — Elderly immigrants cost the government approximately $3 billion annually in health care, while those older than 50 who have worked, have never reported earning more than $15,000 a year, figures suggest.

The figures are contained in a memo produced before the government froze the parent and grandparent stream and introduced a 10-year, multiple-entry super-visa that requires visiting relatives to show proof of a year’s worth of health insurance as a stopgap measure while Ottawa deals with a huge backlog in applications.

It suggests the government has concerns about the cost of elderly immigrants.

Released through access to information and prepared for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in “response to a request for information regarding the cost of health care to senior immigrants and the contribution that parents and grandparents make to household income,” the memo raises questions about whether Canada might be moving toward a two-tier health-care system for newcomers.

It suggests some 2,712 refugees older than 65 cost the government $7.4 million in 2000-2010. Based on data collected between 1980 and 2010, Citizenship and Immigration estimates there were about 275,000 immigrant parents and grandparents over 65 living in Canada in 2010 at a cost of nearly $3 billion a year for health care.

The cost for a newcomer senior who lives to age 85 years was cited at about $160,000.

Press release

May 18, 2012, 8:49 a.m. EDT

CBSA Lays Charges in Immigration Fraud Case

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, May 18, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it has laid charges against three men involved in an immigration fraud scheme. After a lengthy investigation into the activities of Canada 2000 Immigration and Business Solutions Inc., a licensed immigration consulting business operating in Halifax, Ziad El Shurafa and Mohammed Elhajabed have been jointly charged with eight counts of counselling misrepresentation, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Awni Sakalla has been charged with two counts of counselling misrepresentation.

Each charge represents a situation where the individuals assisted a family in committing residency fraud-creating the fictitious appearance of a Canadian residence for immigrants with Canadian permanent resident status, for the purpose of maintaining that status and obtaining Canadian citizenship.

Saskatchewan announces changes to Canadian Immigrant Nominee Program

18 May 2012

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Earlier this month the Canadian province of Saskatchewan introduced changes to their Immigrant Nominee Program affecting the family category, student category, and the entrepreneur category.

Saskatchewan’s Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris announced that in an attempt to create more fairness in the Canadian immigration application process, family category nominees will now only be able to submit one application per household until the principal applicant and family have settled in the Canadian province.

Would-be immigrants take Ottawa to court over cancelled applications
Published On Wed, 16 May 2012

Stephanie Levitz
The Canadian Press

OTTAWA—Would-be immigrants are taking the federal government to court over its decision to return their applications.

They’re angry about the Conservatives’ move to legislate away a backlog of some 280,000 applications created before 2008.

The government announced the decision in its March budget, saying it’s a necessary part of modernizing the immigration system.

But Toronto lawyer Lorne Waldman said he was immediately flooded with emails by people who were furious about the changes.

They’d followed all the steps they were told to take in order to come to Canada, he said, only to be pushed aside.

Two men accused of organizing the MV Sun Sea's journey to Canada appear in B.C. Provincial Court in Vancouver on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. It was their first appearance on that charge. Lesly Jana Emmanuel is on the left, with Kunarobinson Christhurajah seated beside him. Jane Wolsak

Men charged with helping to organize MV Sun Sea voyage appear in court
SUNNY DHILLON
VANCOUVER— From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, May. 16, 2012 9:00PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, May. 16, 2012 9:09PM EDT

Dressed in red prison-issued clothing, listening intently as a Tamil interpreter translated the proceedings, two men charged with helping organize the MV Sun Sea’s voyage into Canada made a brief appearance in Vancouver Provincial Court.

Kunarobinson Christhurajah and Lesly Jana Emmanuel were each charged this week with one count of organizing entry into Canada contrary to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Both men face penalties of life in prison and/or a $1-million fine.

Mr. Christhurajah and Mr. Emmanuel did not address the court during their first appearance Wednesday. The men stood behind a glass barrier in the prisoner’s box and followed the hearing through the interpreter. They remain in custody and will be back in court June 5 for a bail hearing.

A crowd protests changes to the province's immigration rules in front of Saskatchewan’s legislature on Tuesday. Photo Credit: Whitney Stinson , Global News

Canadian flag waving crowd protests changes to Saskatchewan immigration rules
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:11 PM

A crowd protests changes to the province’s immigration rules in front of Saskatchewan’s legislature on Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Whitney Stinson , Global News

A crowd waved Canadian flags in front of the Saskatchewan legislature to protest changes to the province’s immigration rules.

They say the changes announced earlier this month without notice or a phased-in period are a betrayal.

Under the new rules, someone in Saskatchewan can nominate only one family member at a time instead of nominating multiple relatives.

Family category nominees also require a high-skill job offer.

Pirubhai Garasiya immigrated from India in 1994, then moved from Ontario to Saskatchewan in 2010 because of the immigration program.

Garasiya wants to bring his only son to Canada, but worries that may not happen now because his son doesn’t have a job offer.