He's sitting here among women.
I'm Salma Siddiqui and I'm here today in my capacity as the president of the Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations, accompanied by my colleague Tahir Gora, secretary general.
Let me begin by commending the Government of Canada for giving priority to protection of women and strengthening their rights. I would like to take the opportunity today in my remarks to share my views and those of our members on a range of issues around the government's present initiative. While we feel that on the whole this is a step in the right direction, I believe there are areas that should be considered carefully and where there are opportunities for further improvements or reforms.
I'm a Canadian of Pakistani descent and first moved here as a child in 1967. In the many years I have been here I have noticed differing trends in immigration. The debate surrounding immigration ebbs and flows with different issues coming to the fore one time over another. However, it is sad to say that there has always been one constant that I have observed. That constant is a fraud committed by, I'm sure, thousands of immigrants every year through marriages of convenience. I have seen it personally tear families apart, and the guilty parties exist on all sides of the issue.
I would like to begin with a personal story of how immigration fraud has affected my own family.
In the mid-1970s my sister sponsored and then married a man from Pakistan. Shortly after marriage things changed, and even though the two had a son together within the first year of marriage, this man left his family. It didn't stop there. For the next 13 years my sister was embroiled in custody disputes. He used my sister's love for her son—my nephew—as leverage to bring her to the brink of financial ruin, not to mention the emotional turmoil that still resonates today.
We didn't know then, but it's very clear in hindsight that the person in question took advantage of my sister to move to Canada. It is very sad for me to say that the system hasn't changed much in the last 35-plus years.
Now I would like to turn my thoughts to the point at hand.
I do not dispute the fact that there are women, and I'm sure men too, who come to this country as sponsored spouses and are subject to abuse by their sponsors. They need to get out of the situation and they likely do not have the same knowledge of the resources available that you and I take so much for granted as seasoned Canadians. I understand that these people are victims and they need protection. However, I also see that these sorts of exemptions to the proposed two-year cohabitation clause can be used to perpetuate immigration fraud through the use of marriages of convenience.
It is that spirit of raising awareness to this fraud that brings me here to talk to you today.
When we draft public policy we cannot do so with our eyes closed. We must thoroughly examine all of the surrounding issues to ensure that we achieve the best end possible. I'm going to share some stories with you that I hope will serve in broadening your horizons. Many of these marriages—at least 7% according to Canadians Against Immigration Fraud—involve cases from Southeast Asia. Being of Pakistani descent, I'm all too familiar with some of these issues.
During a recent trip to Pakistan I visited an immigration consultant and posed as a single Muslim woman with little financial resources. I asked for advice as to what some of my best options would be. Based upon the profile I provided, I did not fit the investor class. The advice I received was troubling. Canada along with Australia was identified as the best option. The methodology? To quote the consultant, a “paper” marriage.
These are the messages that people are receiving. We need to be aware that this is the case and we need to be vigilant in vetting the applicants. Though I understand resourcing may be an issue, I also think that mismanaging our immigration is irresponsible. I think it is important to point out that there may be significant security considerations associated with this practice.
You may wonder why I did this. I did this because I wanted to see for myself what was going on. My actions were based upon a case of which I am personally aware where a mentally challenged young man was duped into a marriage of convenience. He engaged in good faith sponsorship for his spouse. Upon her arrival, she left him. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that this was her intent all along and that she was likely coached along the way.
There are a number of other cases too. I'm sure that throughout the hearings you have heard, and will continue to hear, about many more such examples.
Another issue I would like to raise is something that is near and dear to me as a Muslim woman. This too is based upon my interaction with different facets of the community across the country. The problem lies with a number of our immigration settlement agencies who are given the responsibility of assisting the victims. Many of the front-line workers in these agencies do come from countries in the Sahel, the gulf, and Southeast Asia. They subscribe to a more conservative view of Islam. They encourage sharia law and polygamy, and to the Mormon issue I agree with you. They serve as enablers in this regard.
We have seen cases where women have claimed refugee status on the grounds of domestic violence, but a few years after being accepted, gave in to family and societal pressures and put forward a sponsorship application for the very abuser she escaped. This may not be so much an example of fraud specifically, but it does speak to the purpose of this bill in preventing violence against women.
In closing, I would like to thank you for the time given and I would like to please ask you to consider the full scope of the issue when drafting this policy. Too many Canadians have been hurt by this, both emotionally and financially. It puts the credibility of our immigration system at risk and can serve to threaten our collective securities as well. Thank you for giving us this opportunity and we hope that we have contributed something to this dialogue.