CSIS beefs up screening for Tamil Tigers

CSIS beefs up screening for Tamil Tigers - The Globe and Mail

Extra agents added in Sri Lanka as backlog grows for Canadian visa requests

Bill Curry

Ottawa — From Wednesday's Globe and Mail, Tuesday, Jun. 09, 2009 08:29PM EDT

Canada is boosting its immigration screening in Sri Lanka – shifting overseas CSIS agents from New Delhi to Colombo in a bid to keep defeated Tamil Tiger terrorists from landing here.

In addition to moving agents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Canada Border Services Agency from their posts in India, the federal immigration department is adding staff to manage the growing backlog of Sri Lankan visa requests.

Richard Fadden, the deputy minister of Citizenship and Immigration who takes over as head of CSIS on June 27, told MPs Tuesday that any hint of association to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam now triggers in-depth screening.

“We are insisting that all applications that have any possibility of involvement with the LTTE be referred to secondary review either by CBSA or by CSIS,” Mr. Fadden said during an appearance before the House of Commons immigration committee.

Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, whose Scarborough-Agincourt riding is home to many Tamil-Canadians, accused the government of unnecessary delays at a time when families are desperate to be united in Canada.

“Is it because your department and your government has a view that if you're a Tamil, you're a Tiger, you're a terrorist?” he asked.

“Of course it's not,” replied Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who appeared with Mr. Fadden.

Mr. Kenney has vowed to speed up family-reunification applications coming from Sri Lanka. But his deputy, Mr. Fadden, said security concerns can lead to a second, and even a third round of interviews as part of the application process.

“While we do want to do everything we can to expedite the handling of files, one aspect that can slow down these files are security concerns,” said Mr. Fadden.

Former immigration judge late for own court date

Former immigration judge late for own court date - The Globe and Mail

Breach of trust trial after a South Korean woman alleged
he offered to secure her legal status in Canada if she would have an
affair with him.

Kate Hammer

Toronto — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail, Monday, Jun. 08, 2009 11:23PM EDT

Former Immigration and Refugee Appeal Board judge Steve Ellis arrived in court nearly an hour late Monday, delaying proceedings on allegations that he offered to approve an immigration application in exchange for sexual favours.

His suit pockets rumpled and his smoky curls askew, Mr. Ellis arrived shortly after Madam Justice Tamarin Dunnet of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Monday's appearance was to set a date for his trial.

Mr. Ellis was charged with two counts of breach of trust in 2006, after a South Korean woman alleged he met with her outside his chambers and offered to secure her legal status in Canada if she would have an affair with him.

The woman's boyfriend recorded a meeting with Mr. Ellis and submitted it to the chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

The video, obtained by CTV, shows Mr. Ellis meeting with the woman outside his chambers and bringing her confidential case file with him.

The tape reveals him saying: “Let me see what I can do. I'm going to work on it. I really want to be friends with you.”

The 45-minute video shows Mr. Ellis offering to help the woman find work and suggesting that he can approve her application if she agrees to an affair. The video records him telling her not to tell her boyfriend, and cautions that they'll “both be screwed” if the arrangement comes to light.

More than two hours after he was first scheduled to appear, Mr. Ellis, who once served as a city councillor, addressed the courtroom.

“I got here as a soon as I could,” he said.

He apologized but did not offer an explanation for the delay.

Mr. Ellis represented himself, but said he was “very close” to securing “very senior” counsel.

The matter was held until Friday to give Mr. Ellis time to sort out his legal representation before dates are set for his trial.

After Mr. Ellis left the courtroom, camera operators and reporters pursued him through the courthouse's back hallways toward Osgoode Hall.

He had no comment.

Canadian officials, NGOs tackle lack of legal help for some asylum seekers

UNHCR - Canadian officials, NGOs tackle lack of legal help for some asylum seekers

VANCOUVER, Canada, June 5 (UNHCR) – The Canadian government and non-governmental organizations, in collaboration with UNHCR, have met to try and ensure that asylum applicants get assistance to better present their claims.

"This is a novel approach to tackling the issue," said Ross Pattee, assistant deputy chairperson in western Canada for the Immigration and Refuge Board (IRB). A recent meeting in Vancouver brought together 36 delegates from various agencies, each with a different mandate but all working to protect refugees.

"In a perfect world, every asylum seeker would have representation, but this is not the case. We are going to all try to make this work for unrepresented claimants," said Pattee. "Each case is critical to us and every time we hear a case, we want it to be well prepared to make sure procedures go smoothly. We want to be efficient and ensure fair procedures."

The meeting was called by the Refugee Protection Division of the IRB Western Region, in collaboration with UNHCR, specifically to focus on how to properly fill out the IRB's Personal Information Form, commonly called "the PIF," which forms the basis of a refugee claim before the tribunal. Attending were representatives from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canada Border Services Agency.
The IRB examines the PIF to identify legal and evidence issues, and the time needed for the hearing. PIFs prepared by unrepresented claimants are often less clear, making it more difficult for officials to prepare the case in advance and raising the prospect of lengthier hearings.

Many asylum seekers cannot afford a lawyer and with demand for legal aid outpacing available service in Vancouver, many go unrepresented. NGOs, faith-based groups and service providers, despite also facing limited resources, are being encouraged to help asylum seekers to complete the PIF or at least provide them guidance.

Rod Holloway, who represented the Legal Services Society, said the annual legal aid budget of US$1.7 million has remained unchanged the last three years despite a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers coming to the province. As a result it is likely that up to 50 percent of claimants will be unrepresented.

"We have made inquiries but there is no funding available," said Holloway. "As funding has not increased to compensate for the demand, we have started screening out claims. Only cases which we deem have reasonable chances of success will be funded by Legal Services Society. The rest will probably be coming your way," he said to those present.

Non-governmental organizations (NGO), faith-based groups and service providers appreciated the usefulness of the meeting and expressed a desire for more such multi-agency activities in the near future.

"A session of this nature enhances the ability of NGOs to assist asylum seekers to tell their stories of persecution. UNHCR is honored to serve as a facilitator between the many partners involved in refugee protection," said Lesley Stalker, UNHCR assistant legal officer in Vancouver.

Story date: 5 June 2009
UNHCR News Stories

Prison sentence served, robber gets deported

globeandmail.com: Prison sentence served, robber gets deported

The Canadian Press

May 12, 2009 at 9:30 PM EDT

WINNIPEG — A violent criminal has been deported from Canada after finishing his prison sentence for a string of Winnipeg armed robberies.

Haitham Abou-Elwafa, 25, was escorted by federal immigration officials onto a plane bound for Cairo, Egypt, that departed Monday night, a source familiar with the case told the Winnipeg Free Press.

The African immigrant was the central target of a complex 2005 undercover investigation that ended early when Winnipeg police learned the accused were stockpiling guns and talking about shooting their victims.

Two local chain stores can also take credit for helping avert potential danger – Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire both refused to sell ammunition to suspicious customers in the days preceding the bust.

Dubbed “Operation Brass Knuckles,” the sting involved a series of wiretaps, surveillance and even a planted “bug” on a vehicle.

Five people were arrested including Mr. Abou-Elwafa, who pleaded guilty in 2007 to his role in five different holdups. He was sentenced to five years in prison under a joint agreement between Crown and defence lawyers.

Crown attorney Mark Lafreniere told the court police started a special task force following a series of gas-bar and convenience-store holdups in which clerks working alone were viciously attacked and threatened.

There were 16 different incidents during the summer and early fall of 2005.

All of the robberies were well planned, with two people usually going inside the store with their faces masked and a third person waiting outside in a getaway car, court was told.

On four different occasions, Mr. Abou-Elwafa was given the task of going inside and holding the door open.

He later told police that was done to prevent the terrified store clerk from hitting a security button that could lock them inside.

Mr. Abou-Elwafa was also the primary robber on a fifth occasion in which he confronted the victim and began screaming threats at the man.

Less than $2,000 worth of cash and cigarettes was netted from the five incidents Mr. Abou-Elwafa was involved in, court was told.

He used the money on his family, which had come to Canada from Egypt a few years earlier and was struggling to get by.

“I'm sorry. I was young and stupid,” Mr. Abou-Elwafa told court just prior to being sentenced.