Wouldn’t it be nice if people, for once, didn’t decide to make money of the misery of others? (I know, I know. Capitalism would collapse the End Times would start, et cetera). One news story that caught my eye was the tomfoolery going on with some Immigration Consultants and their business of getting Syrian refugees to Canada.
“CBC News has learned about a troubling aspect of the drive to bring Syrians to Canada: professional immigration consultants, in partnership with some refugee sponsorship groups, are charging refugees thousands of dollars in arrangements that critics say are unethical and violate federal rules on sponsorship.
The immigration consultants have been targeting Syrians living in the Gulf states, many of whom are there on work permits and are able to earn a living. In that sense, they are potentially a more lucrative client base than those in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.”
Well so far, not bad. I’m sure unethical people wouldn’t try to game the system to rich themselves based on the misery of others…
In the case of one such agency, information available online and documents obtained by CBC News reveal that the consultant is not only charging prospective refugees thousands of dollars to process their applications but also asking them to pay the full cost of their resettlement up front, which violates the financial guidelines of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
Whoops, there we go. The dark side of what humans are capable of has come front and centre once again. Would more people be left in trouble without these private companies working their magic? Would it be wrong to legislate them out of the picture?
I understand that the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in conditions such as these, but I think in the case of refugees we should prioritize their safety rather than the profits of these so called ‘Immigration Consultants’. Let’s close with what Jackie Swaisland has to say on the issue, as she frames the problem quite concisely:
“There are still people who are incredibly vulnerable. There are still people who don’t know what tomorrow holds for them, or they are in dire circumstances,” she said.”So, to sort of charge those individuals, even if they can technically afford to pay for it, a large fee for your services, I think that becomes unethical.”
Unethical, indeed.
[Source:cbc.ca]
4 comments
April 25, 2016 at 8:23 pm
Miep
Canadian coyotes.
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April 25, 2016 at 8:46 pm
Sha'Tara
Unethical – what a nice politically correct euphemism for Criminal Conduct.
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April 25, 2016 at 10:30 pm
The Arbourist
@Miep
Sadly true. Profiting from human misery is the basis of our chosen economic system, should we be shocked when such a good example comes along to illustrate that fact? :/
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April 26, 2016 at 10:44 am
VR Kaine
“Canadian Coyotes” is right. Same as those who offer temporary worker visas. All a big scam.
Does the thousand dollar fee include the applicants’ security screening, though? In that case they should pay it. :)
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