http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/26/immigration-officers-tough-it-out-in-pakistan
OTTAWA - Stressed out Canadian immigration officers in far-flung Islamabad are struggling to keep up with their workload while weeding out fraudsters, documents suggest.
The posting “requires hardy and committed officers who can take the pressure, day in and day out” far from family and friends, according to an internal Citizenship and Immigration Canada report acquired by lawyer Richard Kurland through access to information requests.
In early April, there were more than 5,000 family-class immigration cases pending at the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan.
“As corruption is endemic in both Pakistan and Afghanistan — including in state-regulated institutions — a high proportion of the (family-class) caseload involve civil status documents that are unreliable, fraudulent or are improperly issued or registered,” says the report.
There are also cultural challenges for immigration officers trying to separate fact from fiction while dealing with arranged marriages, “the vast majority of which take place between first cousins.”
The report indicates about half the caseload involves marriages where the sponsor and applicant first meet at the time of marriage or shortly beforehand.
Many other couples are married by proxy and have never met in person.
“This cultural context creates challenges in assessing the bona fides of spousal relationships and identifying marriages of convenience,” says the report.
Given the Islamist terrorist presence in northern Pakistan, staffers also worry about “national security and war crimes concerns.”
Kurland said that’s something the feds take very seriously.
“Canada has layers of internal security to protect and observe Canadian government employees overseas,” he said.
Immigration officers tough it out in Pakistan
OTTAWA - Stressed out Canadian immigration officers in far-flung Islamabad are struggling to keep up with their workload while weeding out fraudsters, documents suggest.
The posting “requires hardy and committed officers who can take the pressure, day in and day out” far from family and friends, according to an internal Citizenship and Immigration Canada report acquired by lawyer Richard Kurland through access to information requests.
In early April, there were more than 5,000 family-class immigration cases pending at the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan.
“As corruption is endemic in both Pakistan and Afghanistan — including in state-regulated institutions — a high proportion of the (family-class) caseload involve civil status documents that are unreliable, fraudulent or are improperly issued or registered,” says the report.
There are also cultural challenges for immigration officers trying to separate fact from fiction while dealing with arranged marriages, “the vast majority of which take place between first cousins.”
The report indicates about half the caseload involves marriages where the sponsor and applicant first meet at the time of marriage or shortly beforehand.
Many other couples are married by proxy and have never met in person.
“This cultural context creates challenges in assessing the bona fides of spousal relationships and identifying marriages of convenience,” says the report.
Given the Islamist terrorist presence in northern Pakistan, staffers also worry about “national security and war crimes concerns.”
Kurland said that’s something the feds take very seriously.
“Canada has layers of internal security to protect and observe Canadian government employees overseas,” he said.
