Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise and support the motion presented by the member for Scarborough Centre which is a votable motion.
The main purpose of the motion is to inform the House and Canadians that problems exist in the immigration consulting industry. Without reading all of them, I think most of us have seen the kind of stories which arise regularly in our daily newspapers. It is time we did something about them.
"Phoney immigration consultants bilk Russians desperate to start new life in Canada", stated in the Ottawa Citizen . The Ottawa Sun : Negligence, fraud alleged in immigration business''. The Law Society of British Columbia:Let immigrants choose''. Immigration advisor denies telling client to claim soldiers raped her''.Immigration specialist admits fraud''.
This is a little item from the Toronto Star dated December 6, 1995 under the heading Darts and Laurels''. It gives a laurel wreath to the immigration committee for recommending the regulation of immigration consultants:With no professional standards, some consultants end up taking advantage of vulnerable refugee applicants and immigrants''. According to the Canadian Press news agency, a draft report by the House of Commons immigration committee says consultants who charge fees should be licensed by a professional body which in turn should establish minimum standards, a code of conduct, continuing education
programs, a complaints procedure and a compensation fund for defrauded victims".
My colleagues who have already spoken to this motion today would agree with all those statements. A large number of these consultants apparently charge exorbitant fees to assist immigrants or potential immigrants to gain access to Canada. Some have no training or expertise with the immigration process and tend to make claims to new immigrants that they cannot deliver on.
Unscrupulous consultants are tarnishing the image of all immigration consultants by their actions. They often counsel people from outside the country who for one reason or another would normally be denied immediately from immigrating. These consultants set up stumbling blocks for our own immigration officials. They prep their clients on what to say, when to say it and how to manipulate the system. This has only added in recent years to the increasing lack of confidence by Canadians in our own immigration system.
It is my feeling that immigration consultants should attain and approve a basic level of knowledge and training before they are permitted to operate in Canada. Through consultation with the provinces, national guidelines could be established to protect new Canadians from unscrupulous consultants.
I realize, as other members have said, that this is a provincial area of responsibility. Provinces deal with the licensing of businesses, industries and professional organizations within their jurisdiction. Therefore, as the mover of this motion said, we must exert some pressure on the provinces in order that they provide the kind of security, safety and regulation for our immigrants. Apparently there are very few provincial requirements for licensing, no bonding prerequisites and no rules and regulations to govern these consultants.
Many MPs are immigrants themselves. I am one. All of us know what it means to be a Canadian. It is really unconscionable that some Canadians and others are taking advantage of our potential immigrants' desire to move to our country by charging huge fees, often misleading them into believing that they will qualify easily when there are hurdles to be considered.
It does our reputation abroad no good. It does the immigration and citizenship department no good with respect to the citizens of this country. We have heard quite enough complaints, a good number of which may have been generated by just such unscrupulous consultants.
I hope that the House will support this motion. We would get some action with the provinces on this problem. I note that they have been slow to act. There has been pressure, but obviously not enough.
Every province has rules concerning professional organizations be they accountants, lawyers, teachers, doctors or paramedics or consultants of various kinds. Certainly this is an area that cries out for some reasonable legislation.
I want to commend the remarks of the member for Bourassa who indicated that in the province of Quebec there are some 22 bills that govern some of these matters. A professional organization there has helped. Since immigration is now a provincial matter, we might well take a lesson from our sister province, Quebec.
I also want to agree with the member for Surrey-White Rock-South Langley who pointed out that immigrants often suffer from a language barrier. They may have come from a country where authority is a fearful thing. They have concerns about their children, their loved ones or the family that they may be leaving behind. They need to meet someone who exemplifies the qualities for which this country stands, not someone who is out to take the shirt off their back and leave them destitute.
We need a regulatory body. I agree with my colleague's remarks that it must do more than simply licence and collect a fee. It must provide some education. It must provide some ongoing professional development and training as these bodies normally do.
In conclusion, I believe the mover of the motion, and I think all others who have spoken in support of it, would accept the amendment. I would accept the amendment proposed by the member for Bourassa that the motion be amended by replacing the words, "work and consult with the provinces to develop legislation that would set" with:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should inform the provinces of the problems related to the services of immigration consultants and work with them in their development of legislation that would set guidelines and licensing regulations to govern the businesses of immigration consultants.