REGINA — The Saskatchewan government is highlighting efforts to crack down on immigration fraud in the province.
At an announcement at the Saskatchewan Legislature, Minister of Immigration and Career Training Eric Schmalz pointed to the government’s efforts aimed at rooting out bad actors who are preying on newcomers hoping for a new life in Saskatchewan. The province is raising awareness to coincide with March being Fraud Prevention Month in Canada.
“Immigration fraud, in particular, not only affects the safety of newcomers, but the people who have been in Saskatchewan for decades and the reputation of our province,” said Schmalz.
“It affects our labour market when jobs are filled through illegitimate means. It takes advantage of people who are vulnerable, and it hurts the reputation of law-abiding employers who are using the immigration systems legitimately.”
Schmalz pointed to The Immigration Services Act, allowing the province to bring enforcement powers for immigration fraud under its jurisdiction instead of relying on the federal government.
In particular, the government is concerned about unlicensed immigration consultants.
Schmalz said since the introduction of the act in 2024, the province has administered five monetary penalties totalling $27,000, issued for the offence of providing immigration recruitment services without a licence.
There are also concerns that unregistered consultants are attempting to defraud newcomers. Schmalz said the act allows compliance officers to issue compensation orders to reimburse victims of immigration fraud. He said four compensation orders have been issued, and one has recently been collected for a total of $96,000, and was “able to return those funds to a victim who was cheated out of their hard-earned money by a fraudulent and unlicensed immigration consultant.”
He said that, in addition, the province has laid four charges under the act, the first of their kind under provincial legislation anywhere in Canada. One was against an unlicensed consultant; the others were against employers seeking to use the immigration system for their own gain.
“Charges range from misrepresenting the duties and hours of a position, charging money for an employment opportunity, to more serious offences such as exploiting a foreign worker's lack of knowledge or fear or threatening deportation,” Schmalz said. “Because of the increasing complexity and frequency of these cases, we now have a full-time Crown prosecutor dedicated to pursuing these charges, holding perpetrators accountable, and securing justice for victims in these cases.”
Mike Tate, CEO of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce, pointed to the importance of the issue for business.
“Immigration fraud is a serious issue, not only because it harms newcomers, but because it can undermine confidence in the system and create challenges for employers,” Tate said.
“Maintaining integrity in the system protects workers, supports ethical employers, reinforces our reputation as a place people want to live and raise a family and work right here in Saskatchewan.”
Ritu Kalra of the Regina Immigrant Women Centre said she “completely” supports what the government is doing to combat immigration fraud.
“As a service provider, we see these things happening,” Kalra said. “People come and complain, and they don't know where to go sometimes, and that's what we do. We send them to the right provincial, federal channels.”
Kalra was asked why this has become such a big issue.
“I believe… people are coming here thinking that, okay, if I go to a developed country, all my worries will go away just by reaching here. I think there has to be a better plan to that. It has to be more organized. It has to be the right method. I just see that there's this notion in multiple communities that if we go to Canada, we'll be able to fix everything. But that doesn't really happen.”
Susan Ewart of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association said that immigration fraud is a major issue and that the association has been “very supportive of the Saskatchewan government's position and the new pieces of legislation that have come out to prevent trucking fraud.”
Ewart said this is also a safety issue, noting that “fraud in trucking, in the immigration system leads to non-compliance in other areas, and safety and compliance on our highways is key.”
“There's no place for fraud in immigration. What a terrible way to make an impression on someone coming to your province that's going to be part of your economy and maybe your neighbour and they're being mistreated and threatened. Those things are happening and we need to stop it. So these are really great initiatives and our industry supports it.”
