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Latest news with #Immigration

Iranian who killed someone in England gets another chance to stay in Canada
Iranian who killed someone in England gets another chance to stay in Canada

Edmonton Journal

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • Edmonton Journal

Iranian who killed someone in England gets another chance to stay in Canada

Breadcrumb Trail Links A Federal Court judge granted Sirus Lotfi's application for a judicial review, overruling an immigration officer's refusal of his last ditch plea to stay in Canada Article content An Iranian whose refugee claim was turned down in Canada because he was convicted in England 16 years ago of a serious assault that left one person dead and another two injured will get another shot at arguing he should be allowed to stay here because his bisexuality, Kurdish ethnicity, conversion from Islam to Christianity and identity as a Westerner would all put him at risk back home. Article content An immigration officer refused Sirus Lotfi's last ditch plea to stay in Canada in March 2024, arguing he had not provided sufficient evidence to establish the basis for his protection claim. 'I respectfully disagree with this position,' Justice Angus Grant wrote in a recent Federal Court decision out of Toronto. 'On the core details related to the applicant's risk factors, the affidavit (outlining those) was detailed and comprehensive. This was particularly the case with respect to (Lotfi's) sexual orientation. The affidavit contained many details, from the applicant's first homosexual encounters, to subsequent relationships, to his time spent in Tehran, frequenting a park where gay men would meet. Moreover, the documentary evidence before the officer clearly raised concerns with respect to the applicant's safety, assuming the risk factors he raised in his affidavit were true. This being the case, there was simply no doubt that the facts set out in the applicant's affidavit, if believed, would have justified granting the application.' Article content The judge noted 'the well-established principle that when an individual in refugee protection proceedings swears to the truth of their testimony, that testimony is presumed to be true unless there is a valid reason to doubt its truthfulness.' The immigration officer's conclusion that Lotfi 'had not established facts that he had categorically and unambiguously sworn to be true' amounted to a 'veiled credibility finding,' Grant said. In other words, the immigration officer questioned Lotfi's honesty without explicitly stating the Iranian's credibility was in doubt. The judge granted Lotfi's application for a judicial review. 'The matter is remitted to a different decision-maker for reconsideration,' Grant said in his decision dated June 18. Lotfi 'entered Canada in November 2022 on a fraudulently obtained passport and made a claim for refugee protection,' said the decision. Article content 'He did not have any other identity documents with him at the time, so he was arrested and detained by the Canada Border Services Agency.' While Lotfi was in detention, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 'learned that in April 2009, the applicant was convicted in England with intent to do grievous bodily harm,' it said. 'The Canadian equivalent of this offence is aggravated assault.' Because of his conviction, for which he served half of a 10-year prison sentence, 'Lotfi was referred for an admissibility hearing before the Immigration Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board,' said the decision. It found Lotfi 'was inadmissible to Canada on grounds of serious criminality.' That meant Lotfi became ineligible for his refugee claim to be heard, so he applied for a pre-removal risk assessment — his last ditch plea to stay in Canada. Article content For that hearing, Lotfi submitted a detailed written argument alleging that he would be at risk in Iran on four distinct grounds. But the immigration officer hearing his case noted Lotfi's lack of supporting evidence to establish his claim for protection. The court heard Lotfi 'had essentially no relationship with his mother in Iran, and moved to Germany as a young adolescent, where his father placed him in a boarding school.' At some point his family 'stopped paying tuition fees for this school, and he was subsequently placed in a Christian orphanage where he lived until he turned 18,' said the decision. 'Over the course of these years, (Lotfi) grew disconnected with his Islamic background and gravitated towards Christianity. At one point while at the orphanage, he tattooed a cross on his shoulder.' Lotfi 'also explained how he explored his sexual orientation while in the orphanage, though this was not easy to do. At 20, the applicant learned that his father had committed suicide. This led to a period of serious drug addiction, and in 2007 (he) was removed to Iran.' Latest National Stories

Namibia strives for integration of refugees on World Refugee Day
Namibia strives for integration of refugees on World Refugee Day

The Star

time5 hours ago

  • General
  • The Star

Namibia strives for integration of refugees on World Refugee Day

WINDHOEK, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Namibia seeks to integrate refugees into its broader social and economic systems, a government official said Friday, as the country commemorated World Refugee Day. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security marked the day under the global theme "Solidarity with Refugees" at the Osire Refugee Settlement in the Otjozondjupa Region. Namibia currently hosts 6,582 refugees and asylum seekers, with the majority residing at the Osire Refugee Settlement, located approximately 225 km from the capital, Windhoek. "This number may vary over time due to factors such as new arrivals, voluntary repatriation, and changes in legal status," Etienne Maritz, executive director of the ministry, said in a public notice. He added that most of these individuals originate from African nations, notably the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda, with others arriving from countries like South Sudan, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. "Namibia follows a welcoming and inclusive refugee policy, offering access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and employment," he said, reiterating that the nation aims to integrate refugees into its broader social and economic systems. Through the Osire Refugee Settlement, the Namibian government, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other partners, continues to provide vital support to displaced persons seeking refuge within the country, he highlighted. Observed globally on June 20, World Refugee Day honors the courage and perseverance of millions of refugees worldwide.

Canada's immigration system vulnerable to abuse? What IRCC report reveals
Canada's immigration system vulnerable to abuse? What IRCC report reveals

Business Standard

time10 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Business Standard

Canada's immigration system vulnerable to abuse? What IRCC report reveals

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed multiple cases of internal misconduct, including a bribery attempt involving the approval of study permits—raising concerns over the system's vulnerability to insider abuse. The findings were released last week in the department's annual misconduct report covering the 2023–2024 period. The IRCC, which processes millions of immigration applications each year, employs more than 11,000 staff across units handling study permits, work permits, permanent residency and refugee claims. According to the report, 62 out of 76 internal investigations led to confirmed misconduct. These included harassment, privacy breaches, and violations of the IRCC's code of conduct. Bribery attempt and insider threats In one case, a processing agent used an internal messaging tool to ask a colleague whether they would accept money to approve a study permit. The agent later claimed the message was sent by someone else using his laptop—a person to whom he allegedly owed money. The case has led to renewed scrutiny of internal controls at IRCC. 'Insider misconduct poses a serious threat to the fairness and integrity of Canada's immigration system, particularly within high-volume visa streams where oversight is inherently more challenging and the stakes for applicants are significant,' said Ketan Mukhija, senior partner at Burgeon Law. Conflict of interest and inappropriate conduct The report identified three employees in breach of IRCC's code of conduct. One was caught making disparaging remarks about clients from a specific country. Another officer developed a personal relationship with an asylum claimant staying at an IRCC-run hotel. The staff member gave the claimant advice on navigating the department, provided preferential treatment, and co-signed a car loan. This led to an unpaid suspension for conflict of interest. Marriage fraud flagged among applicants IRCC also recorded cases of marriage fraud—where applicants attempt to gain immigration benefits through fake relationships. Officers are trained to detect 'marriages of convenience', which are criminal offences under Canadian immigration law. Expert criticism of oversight during Trudeau years Darshan Maharaja, a Canada-based immigration analyst, said the problem has grown over several years, particularly after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. 'Looking from the outside, it seems that during Prime Minister Trudeau's tenure, scrutiny and oversight of the visa applications and approvals became very lax. For example, a couple of years ago, there was the case of 700 Indian students who had come to Canada on study visas based on fake admission letters from Canadian colleges. Over the past five years, the integrity of the immigration system was allowed to deteriorate significantly. The internal misconduct by IRCC staff is, in my view, a result of this deterioration,' Maharaja told Business Standard. Maharaja added, 'Canada's current immigration system is highly vulnerable to abuse by both insiders as well as outsiders. Some of the measures that were introduced last year to strengthen the system, such as requiring study permit applicants to submit proof of having secured residential accommodation, are not foolproof.' Disciplinary actions taken IRCC said it had taken a range of actions against staff found guilty of misconduct. These included: Written reprimands Unpaid suspensions Terminations Revocation of security clearances The department said it would introduce training and awareness programmes to encourage ethical conduct among staff. 'The goal of this report is to build confidence in our accountability systems,' IRCC said. 'The department plays a critical role domestically and globally—from managing temporary entries to settling newcomers, granting citizenship, and issuing passports.' Immigration policy under review The release of the report comes as the Canadian government works to limit the number of new arrivals. Under its 2024 immigration plan, the federal government has announced cuts to international student and temporary worker numbers. Permanent resident admissions will be capped at under 1% of the population annually, with overall immigration levels expected to be brought to what the government calls 'sustainable levels' by 2027. While IRCC says it has already introduced safeguards such as digital monitoring, reliability screening and task rotation, experts say more targeted enforcement is needed. 'These measures must be strengthened particularly in the areas of digital access controls, real-time monitoring, and whistleblower protections to effectively prevent insider abuse and curb exploitation by organised immigration networks,' said Mukhija. 'I believe that the system needs a major overhaul in order to serve the best interests of Canada and the visa applicants,' said Maharaja. Canada on Wednesday released details of its proposed Strong Borders Act, a Bill that could reshape how the country handles temporary residents and asylum seekers. The legislation, if passed, would allow authorities to suspend or cancel immigration documents, introduce stricter rules on asylum eligibility, and improve information-sharing across government. The proposed changes are expected to affect a wide range of immigrants, including Indian nationals, who continue to represent a large share of Canada's temporary and permanent migration flows. As of January 1, 2025, Canada had around 3.02 million temporary residents—students, workers and others—accounting for 7.3% of the country's total population. India remains the top source of new permanent residents, and Indian nationals are also a notable presence among asylum seekers. Total asylum claims had reached a record high of 470,029 by April 1, 2025.

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