In Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighborhood, where about 60% of the population is visible minority, many immigrants fall prey to ill-intentioned immigration professionals or people claiming to have the skills to help them stay in Canada . “It’s a deep problem,” says the director of the Mile End Legal Clinic, Sophie Lefebvre.
Five years ago, his community organization opened an office there at the request of the community. “Quickly, we found ourselves doing a lot of immigration advice,” explains Ms.e Lefebvre. Over time, she realized that there was a form of illegal practice. “Sometimes there was a consultant or a lawyer on file, but sometimes it was neither. These were people who claimed to have the title, but didn’t. »
“These are immigrants who have fled persecution and who have paid dearly to come to Canada in the hope of a better life, but who end up in schemes where people take advantage of them”, observes- she.
Vicious circle
And the consequences are unfortunately very serious, underlines Monique Léger, director of Ressource action-alimentation of Parc-Extension, a food bank frequented by many immigrants of Indian origin. “Most of the people we see here are in great distress, they have serious mental health problems. These are people who are suicidal because of their relationship with their immigration consultant or lawyer,” she says.
This leads them into a vicious circle. “All the money they make ends up in the pockets of these consultants or lawyers, who don’t do the job well. So people find themselves having to work 7 days a week, sometimes moonlighting and taking big risks to continue living,” adds Ms.me Léger, revolted by this situation.
Immigration lawyer Gabrielle Morneau El-Hajal welcomes clients who come to her after experiences that have gone wrong, files that have been rather sloppy by others before her. “When you file an asylum application, for example, it has to be as complete and detailed as possible and there has to be real preparation work for the hearing with the client,” he explains. -She. “If these steps are not done well, it can cause a person to [se faire refuser] refugee status, losing the right to work, losing health insurance. »
“I saw a lot of desperation. They are not wealthy families. Many of them are really poor and borrow money from India to come here,” says Chandan, an interpreter whose name has been changed to protect his clients. “Afterwards, these families still borrow money to pay for the lawyers and the formalities and, if it doesn’t work, they continue to pay to try to make it work. They remain in debt all their lives. »