Immigrants say they are victims of an immigration consultant from Parc-Extension, in Montreal, who allegedly abused them. The duty collected about ten testimonies describing the practices of Maria Esposito, who works with the Indo-Pakistani community in this district. Accused of “flagrant and recurrent negligence”, Mme Esposito is the subject of 13 complaints before his professional order. Before even judging these complaints on the merits, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants deemed the allegations “serious” enough to order the suspension of the consultant’s license last August in order to protect the public.
“Honestly, she ruined our life”, does not hesitate to say Amanpreet Kaur, a mother of Indian origin who filed a complaint against Maria Esposito in 2018. After a nearly ten-year saga to obtain permanent residence for her and hers, Mme Kaur confided in the Duty openly “so that no one falls into the trap again”, she says.
After her asylum application was rejected, even on appeal, Ms.me Kaur knocked on the door of Maria Esposito in 2016. She wanted to try another recourse, namely the application for permanent residence on humanitarian grounds, which can be granted when one demonstrates in particular a good integration. The consultant would have demanded a payment of $1,500 in cash, without a contract.
Two years later, Amanpreet Kaur’s family received a letter from Immigration Canada telling them that the case was rejected and that she would be deported. Mme Kaur then made a discovery: [Maria] had not submitted [à temps] all the documents that had been given to him! I was very angry! she recalls.
People say once they pay they don’t get good service. There is no more communication. We don’t answer them and when they insist, we are mean and aggressive with them.
She says she landed with her husband in the consultant’s office to demand explanations and collect her documents. “She told us not to worry, that she could submit them, but we had to pay her again. We said no. » Mme Esposito would still have demanded a fee of 50 cents for each photocopy.
“It was 200-300 dollars! We went back with a social worker and finally, we were able to get everything back at no cost, ”recalls Mme Kaur, who, with the help of another lawyer who pleaded to reopen the case, ended up obtaining her permanent residence in 2019. “I want to speak out so that no one else gets caught. »
Alleged violations of the code of ethics
Maria Esposito is the subject of 13 complaints that expose “serious systemic and recurring problems” in her practice, writes the College in the order suspending her license. Among the shortcomings of which he is accused are the failure to file immigration applications, the failure to respect the prescribed deadlines and the failure to communicate the decisions rendered to his clients. Mme Esposito also allegedly filed files containing false information.
One of the 13 complaints comes from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) itself, before which the consultant has represented a very large number of clients: nearly 1,300 asylum applications and 133 refugee cases. ‘call. According to the College, this IRB complaint, which has not yet been made public, exposes “flagrant and recurring negligence” in the consultant’s practice.
In 63 files, the consultant would have promised her clients to file an appeal but would have neglected the necessary procedures, which caused the rejection of the files. Reached by phone by The duty at her office on rue Jean-Talon, in the heart of Parc-Extension, in Montreal, Maria Esposito says: “I admitted to all the clients that it was my fault, I did not hide it, did she say. However, these files have all been reopened. »
Mme Esposito states that it has always followed up on files and communicated information on decisions to its clients. “The lack of communication, it was not with the customers, it was with the Commission [de l’immigration et du statut de réfugié] herself. She did not comment further on the allegations or testimonies collected by The duty. “There was no fraud, no theft of money. There was none of that, ”she assures.
Immigrants testify
The accusations and complaints against Maria Esposito are echoed in the dozen other testimonies collected by The duty. However, the identity of immigrants, translators or other people in the community is protected by a fictitious name, because everyone is afraid of harming the immigration process.
Maninder says he has been depressed since a bad experience with Maria Esposito. This man of Indian origin is now taking medication. According to legal documents seen by The dutyhe gave the consultant $1,750 to appeal the rejection of his asylum claim.
A few weeks later, Maninder received a letter from the Immigration and Refugee Board informing him that Maria Esposito had never filed this appeal within the prescribed 45 days and therefore her case was dismissed. . “I have panic attacks, I went to the emergency room,” he sighs, his gaze absent. This man was able to have his case reopened. But in the meantime, he can only work on the black market and says he is unable to hold a job anyway because of the stress he is experiencing. “How am I going to survive? Like all immigrants to whom The duty spoke, he is worried about his children who remained in India.
Several witnesses report never having signed a contract with Mr.me Esposito. The sums claimed for the various proceedings she initiated seem to vary widely. Receipts are generic, handmade, as found The duty.
Chandan, an interpreter, described the climate of fear in which, according to their accounts, these immigrants who do business with Mr.me Esposito. “People say that once they’ve paid, they don’t get good service. There is no more communication. We don’t answer them and when they insist, we are mean and aggressive with them,” he says.
A community worker who accompanied a woman says she was intimidated herself. “Maria does not answer [au téléphone], she cries out to the world. Once, I convinced her to give the file back to a woman I was caring for, but I had to go myself, she says. Even I was shaking, imagine the poor immigrant family. »
Open office
Mme Esposito has the obligation to inform its customers of the suspension of its license and to appoint a duly accredited consultant who will follow up on its files.
Some customers were aware of the situation, but The duty has met several people from the Indo-Pakistani community in recent months who have used his services and who had not been informed. Other people went to file asylum and work permit applications at Maria Esposito’s office, which is still open. The latter told us that she no longer communicates with customers because she was “suspended”.
Advised by members of the community, Hardeep showed up at Maria Esposito’s office this fall to give her an application for asylum and a work permit. The transaction was made with the husband of Mme Esposito, Mansoor Alam. “It was a verbal agreement. I was asked for $5000 and I gave a first payment of $1500 cash “, he reported. It was not possible to establish who is currently processing the cases. As of June 16, the 13 disciplinary complaints against Mme Esposito will be submitted to the disciplinary committee of his professional order for a decision.