Immigration Consultants: Abusive? Unethical? Unqualified?Voice your Opinion!

In my personal experience as a legal advisor to refugee claimants in Canada there was a duty to follow the laws, respect the country I was living in and do the best for my clients. While many cases were falsified, and others were very legitimate, there was always one problem in the system that stood out as an irritant to preserving the rights of individuals in Canada. The lack of morality of those representing clients was always my personal main concern while working within the Canadian Refugee System. More often than not, clients would gain representation from what are known as Immigration Consultants. While many are honest and good at their job, mostly they are unregulated, have no standards or guidelines in assisting their clients, and in many cases with abusive consultants they would overcharge for services that their clients could not afford or did not understand. There are many great Consultants and Lawyers in the system, but some are too awful to consider discussing in this forum.

A recent report by TheStar.com set out to challenge the legitimacy of the Immigration Consultant system by placing hidden cameras in some consulting sessions. What was found is that a few of those Consultants were overcharging their clients to an extreme degree, and even more disturbing falsifying information on their client's documentation in order to obtain their immigration papers or win their claims for refugee status.

In the article above many of the Immigration lawyers claimed to get a lot of business from clients who's lives have been destroyed by the unethical actions of their Immigration Consultants. I have found this to be true in many cases, but as well many lawyers have not been completely fair in their work with immigration cases either.

While lawyers in Canada are certified by the local Province's Law Society, and many Immigration Consultants are now becoming registered with the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, the vulnerability of many clients and their perception that they lack certain fundamental rights in a foreign country often lead them to trust much of what their representatives advise them to do while their applications are in process. While moral and legal obligations to their clients and their membership in their respective professional societies gear those agents to assist their clients, it is often not the case. Do you believe foreign citizens should have rights abroad? It is a question which needs to be asked in every society and implemented if respect for these individuals shall become part of the institutions and people who work with immigration issues.