Number 111 March, 1999

Now Lesbians Luck Into "Refugee" Bonanza

Remember [Hotline #103] the lesbian who claimed refugee status because she had been raped by the Colombian police? "Irma Patricia Pulido, 31, was allowed to stay here by an Immigration and Refugee Board because of her fear of persecution in Colombia because she's a lesbian. ... Her lawyer, George Kubes [the Gypsy King] said Pulido is ecstatic that she was given status here. ... 'Canada is open for those people who have suffered,' Kubes said. 'She has a whole new world ahead of her.' ... [Board member Larry] Colle said displays of homosexuality on the streets of Colombia could entail some risk. ... Pulido said it was vital that she make love again after her rape 'to get out of the closet again.' She preferred Latino women because they provided 'lots of love.'" (Toronto Sun, Jan. 21, 1999) Yup, and Canadians provide lots of gullibility. Lidia Lilliana Araya, 38, "an Argentine lesbian who claims she was gang-raped twice and her lover killed seeks refugee status in Canada. ... Araya said she was gang-raped by four co-workers in 1992 and by two Argentine policemen in 1995 after leaving a gay bar with her lover. 'The police told us we were perverts and they didn't want us in society,' she wept. 'They said they would make sure we never live in peace.' ... Araya said she fled after her 'older and more experienced' lover, Marta Viarail, 51, was found dead. 'I loved and felt protected with Marta,' she wept. 'I think the police made her disappear. She said she fled to Canada in December 1997." (Toronto Sun, January 29, 1999)

Word Travels Fast

Canada has distinguished itself yet again -- now "a world leader in offering haven to gays and lesbians. ... More than 200 people have been granted refugee status in Canada based on their sexual orientation since 1992. ... In 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada assured the door to such claims would remain open when it ruled sexual orientation could be the grounds for refugee status. ... The Federal Court of Canada has ordered the refugee board to reconsider the claim of a Chilean homosexual who married a Canadian woman to escape persecution in his home country. Juan Pedro Burgos-Rojas, 24, told his wife he was gay one week after arriving in Canada. ... [According to Justice Paul Rouleau,] the board wrongly overlooked the fact that Mr. Burgos-Rojas was so desperate to escape Chile that he married a Canadian woman. ... Mr. Burgos-Rojas said he wants to study hairdressing in Canada." (National Post, February 2, 1999) Note the signal lack of compassion for the Canadian citizen who was "used". Under pending legislation, the Immigration Department intends to recognize same-sex partners as legitimate spouses. Remember, more than one surprised Canadian mayor has been hauled up before a human rights tribunal for failing to "celebrate" same-sex lifestyles. Can criminalization be far behind?

What, Me Worry?

"More than half of the refugee claimants [53%] who arrived at Pearson Airport last year showed up with no documents, and officials still don't know who many of them are. ... The claimants are photographed and fingerprinted when they arrive, but immigration officers aren't allowed to send the information to foreign police since the newcomers are allegedly fleeing persecution. ... The majority are released into the care of social agencies after promising to appear for hearings. But front-line officers said many don't show up. Of those who do, their identities are still unknown." (Toronto Sun, January 31, 1999) Let's see if we understand: it's our responsibility to permit anyone who can scam a flight here to claim refugee status, throw themselves on our mercy, claim the benefits of our hospitality, wealth and resources, and spin the process out for as long as the goody-bag allows. For their part, the so-called refugee can refuse to cooperate and obstruct officials every step along the way. Social service agencies (cashing in at the other end) will no doubt attribute this to a "mistrust of authority", or "residual trauma". The possibility that we are repopulating this country with a sub-class that will not abide by the rules -- here, there, or anywhere -- is simply not open for discussion.

A Lasting Legacy - TB

"A Vancouver doctor who contracted tuberculosis while trying to resuscitate a dying Burmese man says that inadequate health screening of refugees overseas, and poor screening of asylum applicants, has created unacceptable risks in Canada. Asylum applicants must have a medical examination within 60 days, but officials admit it is difficult to enforce this regulation." (Migration News, Vol. 6, No. 2, February 1999) "Canada is re-assessing its medical tests for immigrants because the tests were established many years ago and do not necessarily address emerging health concerns, said Joan Atkinson, director general of Immigration's selection branch. ... Dr. Maria Hugi warned doctors Thursday about inadequate screening of refugees, noting she contracted tuberculosis while resuscitating a dying Burmese man in Mount St. Joseph Hospital." (Vancouver Sun, January 9, 1999) Nevertheless, Ms. Robillard's white paper (p. 46) insists "People with active tuberculosis are denied admission until rendered non-infectious by treatment." In Toronto, "90 per cent of the city's 450 [TB] cases last year were among immigrants who were exposed to the disease in their former country." (Globe and Mail, January 26, 1999) When will Ottawa start doing something, and stop spoon-feeding us pabulum about what they'd like to do -- in theory -- maybe -- if no one complains?

George Kullman - Patriot

According to the Citizenship of Canada Act"( Cat. No. C151-85/1998) published in December, 1998: "New offences will deal with cases of complicity, abuse of power and other similar offences committed by citizenship officials within the context of their duties. ... The proposed sanctions (i.e., a maximum fine of $10,000 for criminal offences and/or imprisonment for a term of not more than five years) are more in line with those imposed for similar offences in other federal legislation such as the Immigration Act." (page 12) It all sounds so stern, doesn't it? Remember good old George Kullman? [Hotline #109] The 20-year veteran immigration officer and vice-president of Local 644 of the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union was found guilty of scheming to sell stolen blank visas to Asian whores. "Madame Justice Anne Molloy of the Ontario Court's General Division ... sentenced Mr. Kullman to an 18-month conditional sentence to be served as a form of house arrest while he cares for his 83-year-old [WW II resistance fighter] mother. ... According to a pre-sentence report Mr. Kullman, while out on bail, married an Asian woman and is now trying to sponsor her entry into Canada as an immigrant." (Globe and Mail, Jan 14, 1999) Meanwhile, Mr. Kullman -- the blank visa maestro -- has found "work at a print shop".

Are We Serious?

A landed immigrant originally from Pakistan, Umer Sultan, 28, was ordered deported from Canada yesterday. Sultan "failed to tell border officials he was being investigated in Minneapolis for the alleged rape of a University of Wisconsin student, who is a thalidomide victim. ... [The victim] was allegedly assaulted by Sultan and another man in 1991. The other man was sentenced to eight years in March 1992. The woman later accepted $165,000 in a civil settlement so charges against Sultan could be dismissed. Sultan has 30 days to appeal the deportation and will be freed on $20,000 cash bail until an appeal is heard." (Toronto Sun, January 29, 1999) Let's put on our thinking caps: Mr. Sultan has bought his way out of trouble before. What kind of "guarantee" does a measly little $20,000 bail represent?

Enrichment in Mississauga

"Bear gall bladders and paws are prized in some Asian nations as a cure for medical woes as diverse as heart problems and piles. The paws are used in a soup believed to boost sexual vigour. ... 'Our operators did go in and have a meal and they did consume it. It's on a special menu and they paid roughly $295 for it,' said Tim Boyd, an enforcement officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources. 'There was also a takeout service.'" (National Post, December 23, 1998) "Champion House Restaurant on Watline Avenue was fined $4,000. Yen-Po, 28, of Mississauga Road was fined $1,000. It is illegal to sell black bear parts in Ontario. A Provincial Court judge ordered the bear paws destroyed. He also ordered the restaurant to publish a statement condemning the possession and sale of bear parts." (Globe and Mail, December 22, 1998) But what about "diversity"?

How DO They Do It?

"A body pulled from the Credit River is that of a violent Scotsman who had been deported three times to his native country, police said yesterday. Anthony Fallis, whose body was found Saturday afternoon, was last kicked out in June. ... Two immigration officers leading him into Pearson Airport were jumped by three men who tried to free the Scottish deportee [Hotline #105]." (Toronto Sun, December 7, 1998) How do they keep sneaking back in? This guy couldn't even claim refugee status. Shall we just throw the gates wide open and let people come and go as they please, or continue to pay immigration officers for the identical outcome?

Canada Customs Pension Plan

"Customs officers working to fight the money-laundering problem at Canada's busiest airport were themselves involved in the theft of drug cash and its transfer to foreign accounts. ... Sources close to the investigation say the thefts took place during an ongoing joint operation by the RCMP and Canada Customs, during which agents X-rayed suspicious luggage on flights from Toronto's Pearson International to Colombia. ... Sources say that, rather than turn the seized cash -- amounting to at least $1-million (US) -- over to police, the group pocketed it and banked it. One bank reported the unusual deposits. ... The case raises fresh concerns about [money] laundering controls in Canada, which has been repeatedly criticized in the United States and Europe as an easy place to move the proceeds of crime. ... In its report on a 1997 visit to Canada, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, set up by the Group of Seven industrialized countries, criticized Canada for failing to set up a mandatory regime of reporting of suspicious transactions. All other 25 nations in the task force have passed laws requiring that 'suspicious transactions' be reported to a central agency." (National Post, January 23, 1999) "The senior customs officer, who had reached the rank of superintendent, had allegedly recruited an inspector, their spouses, his two brothers and a cousin to help launder the money. ... [Charged are:] Vincent Paul Maltais, 39, ... Kevin Berry, 38, ... Maltais' wife, Paula Seidenkranz, Berry's common-law wife, Paula Hillson, Michael Gerald Maltais, Donald James Maltais and Paul Dennis Sullivan." (Toronto Sun, January 26, 1999) They were released on bail.

Graft and corruption among customs and immigration officials is inevitable when the system itself is impotent and dishonourable. It's heartening when the odd courageous soul speaks in Canada's defence. "The federal government has promoted business immigration since the late 1980s as a way to improve the Canadian economy. ... The man charged with monitoring immigrant entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. says the program is a 'national disgrace'. In memos obtained through Access to Information, Paul Coolen, the sole full-time investigator in the business unit of Citizenship and Immigration Canada in Nova Scotia, wrote ... that the program he is charged with monitoring is rife with fraud and misrepresentation. In the memo, circulated in early 1998, Mr. Coolen said: 'This program assists and promotes citizenship of convenience fraud, promotes abuse in national and provincial social programs and, in my opinion, is a national disgrace.' ... Mr. Coolen, partly in response to his memos, now has access to assistance from the RCMP in his investigations. ... Scott Sterns, an immigration lawyer in Halifax, said the entrepreneur program is 'not even close' to being a national disgrace. [Using the Robillard defence,] he argued that the program is simply flawed in its design." (National Post, January 29, 1999) Mr. Coolen's caseload is just 150-200. Exactly how bad are the abuses in areas where a lot of "entrepreneurs" are less rigorously monitored?

Immigration Puts More Money Into Circulation!

Unfortunately, by printing it. A counterfeiting/credit card/phony ID operation was broken just before Christmas. "RCMP officers say the operation was part of a cross-cultural venture of Chinese and Russian immigrants who stole credit card numbers and produced fake credit cards and fake money in the Toronto area. ... About 20,000 of the [$100] bills -- $2-million at face value -- have shown up across Canada in the past eight months." (Globe and Mail, Dec. 12, 1998)

"International" Syndicate Rules Van. Drug Trade

They've turned the blocks around east Hastings and Main Street in Vancouver into a refuse heap of human zombies, shooting up in broad daylight in back alleys littered with pools of puke and discarded needles. The place is a cesspool of AIDS and hepatitis and washed out whores offering their rotting wares to passing motorists. "An international crime group that was importing drugs in such volume that they were capable of controlling the North American market price for heroin has been broken up by police raids, here [in Vancouver], in Toronto and in Hong Kong. The RCMP's Greater Vancouver drug section has seized more than $14-million worth of heroin. ... Investigators were stunned when they opened the [Richmond, B.C.] warehouse and found it stuffed with green plastic tubs full of bags of heroin. ... Arrested in Canada in addition to Chi Hang Chan [30], was his brother-in-law, Kwok Yung Chan, 35, of Toronto. In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong police narcotics section arrested Kok-Hung Chan and his wife, Yuk-Shan Siu. ...One of those arrested in Canada was already being sought on deportation warrants for unspecified violations." (National Post, January 20, 1999)

Large, Muscular Men

So that the gunman could prove a point, bank teller and mother of two Nancy Kidd, was shot in the neck as she obediently lay motionless on the floor during a $1,400 hold-up. Toronto's media shifted into high-gear. We were immediately informed the men "had muscular builds." Now that would cover a wide range of people. Only less enlightened outlets like the Toronto Sun informed their readers of a more useful characteristic -- that the suspects had ''Jamaican accents". In the trade-off between a grief-stricken family and ethnic feelings, the family is expected to show a little compassion. What could be more appropriate to our new reality than nabbing two of the suspects by way of their visit to Oshanti's Psychic Herbal Store, catering traditional Caribbean remedies, and featuring "a small chapel where private consultations were done. ... Police allege Marlin Rowe, 20, and Dain Campbell, 18 ... discussed details of the 44-year-old's murder with the store's owner, who is a fortune teller. ... Both men arrested Saturday night have ties to Jamaica. ... As the two suspects were arrested, they wept and sang hymns ... struggled, cursed, whined and finally thanked God and Allah for freeing their chains and keeping them alive. ... Rowe is described as a landed immigrant from Jamaica who has no record. ... Campbell is named on warrants for armed robberies in Fort Lauderdale. Detectives are trying to track his movements before the arrest and determine how he entered the country. ... Although police suspect the two outstanding suspects left Canada, a source said there's 'no concrete evidence' they actually did." (Toronto Sun, January 18, 1999) When Rowe and Campbell were brought to court, "the two men called out to reporters. 'My arms are killing me. My legs are killing me. My head is killing me,' Rowe shouted. (Police) called me nigger -- they're racist. Campbell bent over to show reporters his facial bruises. 'See what they did to me. I didn't do shit,' he said." (Toronto Sun, January 19, 1999) Head of the Peel homicide squad, Inspector Tom "Slinger said they hadn't complained until they saw the cameras. ... While Mr. Campbell 'has prior arrests' in Florida, the police in Ft. Lauderdale aren't even sure of his nationality. ... [Typically stumped,] federal immigration officials have no record suggesting either Mr. Rowe or Mr. Campbell is in this country illegally, which may mean they are landed immigrants, or that they are here legally as visitors to Canada." (National Post, January 19, 1999) The two evidently like to cover the bases: obeah, black magic, voodoo, Islam and Christianity. Now they're about to discover the most powerful fetish of all -- Canada's absurdly lenient criminal justice system.

New Immigration Policy: Action Alert!

Canada's population increased by an incredible 40 per cent between the end of the war and 1958. The optimistic mood was strengthened in 1947 when our first Citizenship Act made Canadians of us -- rather than British subjects. The country was hopping with energy and shared a remarkably cohesive vision of the future. Canada's second Citizenship Act took effect in 1977, and a year later -- 1978 -- brought us to our current Immigration Act. It is not a happy exercise to compare the supremely confident post-war Canadian with today's confused and neglected drab. In 1977, a postage stamp cost 14-cents and, just coincidentally, that year the country saw 500 refugee claims staked here. Today, we get about 25,000 (60 per cent of which are rejected outright, although most supplicants wind up staying, thanks to an inexhaustible round of appeals). Immigration lawyers and other creatures pecking at the corpse of Canada, regularly defend the status quo, on humanitarian -- never fiscal grounds. Since coming to power in 1993, the Liberal Party has ruminated the immigration cud without pause and without effect. The Immigration Act is 22 years old, and the government says it wants your input on a new one.

Yet, when Lucienne Robillard met the press on January 6, she crowed that last year's consultations "did not show any justification for a radical change in direction or a break from the success of Canada's immigration policy." Try not to laugh. These consultations, sold as "wide ranging" and "public debates" , were neither. Applications from parties not financially dependent on the masticating spines of relentless immigration were chased off with a stick. The really rather tame recommendations of Ms. Robillard's own hand picked legislative review committee, were largely consigned to the Old Recommendations' Home. (That the 172 recommendations cost taxpayers $1.2-million is some indication of the kind of money this department squanders with impunity). Now, a 60-page immigration white paper humorously misnamed, Building on a Strong Foundation for the 21st Century informs us, with great fanfare, that the feds want to do it all -- all over again!

Ms. Robillard assures us that her department has been poring over 2,200 written proposals (in addition to the 115 submitted at the Mad-Hatter's consultations). Realistically, we have to assume that the vast majority of written submissions were likewise contributed by people who have a strong, humanitarian commitment to their paycheques. So, if you troubled to write, thank you indeed for standing up to an otherwise runaway steamroller. You'll be delighted to know that a careful and (at least initially) less than optimistic reading of the white paper reveals that we have made inroads. Many of the guidelines we regularly criticized and lampooned (which were vigorously defended not so long ago) are suddenly, mysteriously, acknowledged policy failures. And don't kid yourself about the source of this progress; immigration reform organizations are pretty thin on the ground in Canada. Remember, until very recently, only "racists" noticed "extremely rare" abuses of the system. How rare? So rare that the entire Act must be rewritten.

But the same old mythologies persist: "Canadians have made choices about the nature of the society they want [Have we?] ... Diversity is a source of collective strength [Is it?]" (p. 9) The document likes to refer to us as: "Canada's human capital base." (p. 30)

The white paper's guidelines for tougher measures are consistently vague and nebulous; geared perhaps, to prevent the peasants from saying unkind things. In marked contrast, plans to ease and relax existing restrictions are energetically outlined in crisp, concise point form. Still, the white paper contains a few home truths: "In human history, the movement of people across international borders has never been as extensive," (p. 14). Immigration Canada greets the news by splashing a bit of perfume about. With just a few minor, liberalizing adjustments, it's assumed that Canadians will be delighted with the new immigration policies that have been decided for them. This goes well beyond the usual arrogance; the department knows very well what the polls say, but seems to know equally well, that Canadians have largely been intimidated by barking, shrieking lobbies. This, as much as previous experience, suggests that without relentless and unflinching pressure, REAL REFORM will simply die on the vine. After all, it's in the nature of bureaucracies to get away with as much as possible. In short: "Sure, we could drag along without the highest immigration intake rate in the developed world but why should we?"

It's the usual rush to judgement -- your letters and submissions must be in by March 31, 1999. Even a brief letter will be more effective than the carte blanche of consenting silence. The first defence against any form of tyranny is information: ask to be added to the Immigration Department's mailing list. This sends an unmistakable message: "ordinary" Canadians are beginning to take an interest and demand a share of the decision making process.

If we get a new Immigration Act every 20 years, this blueprint will be setting policy for a very long time to come. Please bear in mind what the last 22 years have done for/to Canada. The white paper has decided upon direction You are being consulted on mechanics and implementation, under the mistaken impression that the Canadian taxpayer is to be routinely excluded from the family of "stakeholders" and "interested parties", even though it is the ordinary Canadian who suffers most whenever another unworkable immigration scheme is imposed on us. Nevertheless, the white paper stays up nights, obsessed with "fairness" and "accountability" -- a commitment that is consistently exercised on behalf of people who ARE NOT (yet) Canadian citizens. There are recurring nightsweats over "injustices which cannot be remedied", as though the issue were one of capital punishment, rather than pulling up stakes and settling in Canada. As Ms. Robillard dog-paddles between leftish lost causes, lawyers, loonies, and lachrymose lobbyists, it's horribly clear that she simply does not have what it takes to steer an intelligent course through treacherous waters. For God's sake, somebody toss her a solution!

Note the white paper's very telling admission: "Canada has resisted the trend in other immigrant-receiving countries to restrict family immigration." (p. 24) As you read, you begin to see why. Canada has decided to go all the way the other way, proposing "a possible reduction in the length of sponsorships for spouses and children. Currently, the duration of sponsorship is 10 years for all categories. In the province of Quebec, the duration is three years for spouses." (p. 24) Are we actually talking about reducing the period of sponsorship to three years or less? Moreover, (in a climate where it is very nearly criminal to criticize any aspect of the "gay" lifestyle), he government means to redefine "spouse" to include same sex partners, (in a community notorious for finding new "life-partners" with some frequency) even while it relaxes the terms of obligation/responsibility for the sponsor. This, when international law enforcement agencies join CSIS and our own Senate in criticizing Canada's record of admitting criminals and terrorists under already lax regulations.

The feds also intend to relax the age ceiling on dependent children. An innocuous sounding idea, but read on: "For the purposes of the family class, a dependent child is currently defined as a son or daughter who is: less than 19 years of age and unmarried; or in full-time attendance at an educational institution and financially supported by the parents since reaching age 19; or suffering from a physical or mental disability and who is wholly or substantially supported by the parents. [They're looking at] increasing the current age limit for a dependent child from less than 19 years to under age 22, and maintaining a provision to include older children still in full-time studies and financially dependent on their parents, or dependent because they are suffering from a physical or mental disability." (p. 23) Again, aside from crime and security considerations, it hardly matters whether "child" or "spouse" is wholly dependent on the sponsor, if the sponsorship period is drastically reduced or simply abrogated. Enforcing sponsorship has become such a thorn in the side that: "the government proposes to expand Citizenship and Immigration Canada's power to undertake collection action against defaulting sponsors and to share proceeds with the provinces." (p. 26) Delightful.

There's a monotonous regularity to the mind-numbing range of abuses that Immigration Canada has yet to sort out. Very belatedly, the government is considering: "removing current restrictions on prosecuting people who aid and abet illegal migration ... [Creating] a new offence for people who alter or counterfeit any immigration document ... Authorizing Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicators to continue hearings in the absence of the person concerned where proper notice of the hearing has been given ... Authority to exchange information with other countries on criminality and security issues [through] agreements with other states to permit information sharing. ... Stiffer penalties for inadmissible people who repeatedly return to Canada without authorization ... A provision whereby failed refugee claimants who return to Canada after 90 days and submit another protection claim would not have access to [another] protection hearing ... Claimants may also apply, at any time and as often as desired, for permanent residence on humanitarian or compassionate grounds. ... As refugee claimants without documents have the same access to Canada's determination system as claimants with documents, there is currently no incentive to cooperate in establishing identity ... Refugee claimants who refuse to cooperate in establishing their identity could be detained because of security concerns." Can you imagine petitioning for "asylum" as you actively hinder and obstruct your new benefactor? Indulging such impudence and arrogance (at such an early stage in the determination process) does not bode well for Canada.

Another previously unsuspected abuse is "the Family Business Job Offer" (p. 29). Mercifully, it appears to be on the way out, but additional points accrued to the hopeful immigrant if a relative (who happens to be a Canadian citizen) offered him a job with the family business. No one has explained how this might "help" unemployed Canadians. Presumably, legislation regarding the scandal-plagued "buy your way in" programmes is not meant to be humorous. However, the Immigration department is focusing now on "proven risk takers" (p. 30) -- as opposed to crooks.

Several telling admissions seem to run counter to the reams of propaganda that have been choking us for years: "Recent research indicates that over the past decade, immigrants have not been as successful. Data reveal that new immigrants are starting from further behind than earlier immigrants, and that they are catching up more slowly. (p. 28) ... 95 per cent of the successful skilled workers applicants are assessed as having some official language skills . About half of the entrepreneur immigrants and two-thirds of investor immigrants have no official language skills. (p. 29) ... Refugees from abroad [that is, the ones we actually select] are selected with the expectation that they will be able to become self-sufficient within a year of their arrival in Canada. In this decade, most refugees have needed a longer period before they could successfully resettle in Canada." (p. 41)

Our advice is: WRITE regardless. It doesn't have to be a lengthy document with footnotes; make your feelings known, concisely and without slurs. Make copies of your letter and spread them around (Note on the bottom where copies are going. That makes it harder to throw in the trash) Remember, any letter to Parliament or your MP is postage-free. We recommend that you write (and don't forget to ask to be added to the department's mailing list) to: your MP as well as to Legislative Review Secretariat, Narano Building, 10th Floor, 360 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, K1A 1L1 fax: (613) 946-0581 E-mail: legrev@istar.ca If you have Internet access, the white paper is at http://cicnet.ci.gc.ca/english/about/policy/lr/e_lr.html Remember: it's hopeless the moment people stop resisting.