Finally! Expose of American Agenda

source: WorldNetDaily.com

Resistance to enforcing immigration laws and border security by political elites in the nation's capital is, at least in part, a result of plans to promote political, social and economic integration of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, charges a new book, "The Late Great USA." "It's the only context in which the current immigration travesty makes sense," says Jerome Corsi, co-author of the best-selling "Unfit for Command," "and it must be stopped." Millions of Americans, shocked by the Senate "grand bargain" on immigration that gives the precious gift of legalization to millions of illegal aliens and felons, have taken to the phones to demand no amnesty. But, claims Corsi, there's far more to the current Senate bill – a story documented in shocking detail in "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," published by WND Books.

"Prior to this 'grand bargain' cooked up in a backroom by our so-called representatives, many people had never heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, yet several amendments in the Senate bill are designed specifically to further the SPP's agenda," explains Corsi. In "The Late Great USA," Corsi shows how the SPP, an agreement signed in 2005 by Bush, Paul Martin of Canada and Vicente Fox of Mexico, is nothing less than a full-frontal assault on American sovereignty. This aim to create a North American Union between the United States, Mexico and Canada is the real reason behind "comprehensive immigration reform." Says Corsi, "Bush's goal to create a North American Union – with no borders, a shared currency, and utterly no voice for average Americans in their own futures – is the real reason he won't enforce immigration laws." Utilizing thousands of documents released as a result of the Freedom of Information Act, "The Late Great USA" shows how unelected bureaucrats in faceless agencies such as the Department of Commerce have been given the power to foist the NAU on the American public incrementally. "The European Union, which now holds millions of voiceless, voteless Europeans in thrall to a heedless Brussels bureaucracy, was put into place little by little over a 50-year period," Corsi writes, "not by the citizens of the member states, but by elitists who disguised their goal of a regional government."

In "The Late Great USA," Corsi details:
1. The tactics unelected globalist business leaders, bureaucrats and taxpayer-funded academics are using to lead to the merger of the United States with Mexico and Canada
2. How the state of Texas is seizing millions of acres of privately owned land so foreign investors can cash in on a NAFTA "super-highway" from Mexico to the Canadian border.
3. How China, through its proxies in Mexico, plans to bring the world's sole superpower to its knees economically – without firing a shot.

"A North American Union would not just be the end of America as we know it," claims Corsi, "but the beginning of an EU-like nightmare – a bureaucratic coup d'etat foisted upon millions of Americans without their knowledge or consent." "The Late Great USA" is a meticulously researched story of deceit, the chapters of which are being written in secret. For Corsi, "The Late Great USA" is nothing less than a wake-up call to the American people. "The Security and Prosperity Partnership is not just unconstitutional, but an act of treason at the highest levels," he says. "Anyone who cares about the future of this country – our children’s future – must act now against a North American Union and the underhanded way in which our sovereignty is being compromised, one illegal alien at a time." Corsi, a WND columnist, received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science in 1972 and has written many books and articles, including the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry." Corsi's most recent book was authored with Michael Evans: "Showdown with Nuclear Iran." Corsi's other recent books include "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil," which he co-authored with WND columnist Craig. R. Smith, and "Atomic Iran."

Guide for Newcomers to negotiate life in Canada

by: Radhika Panjwani

A 95-page book providing useful information for newcomers to Canada was released yesterday at the Living Arts Centre by Ontario's Fairness Commissioner. It's the first time such a comprehensive guide has been published in Ontario. A Newcomer's Guide to Services in Peel, Halton and Dufferin was developed by the Peel Halton Dufferin Training Board (PHDTB), a non-profit community organization. Ontario's Fairness Commissioner, Dr. Jean Augustine, was on hand to launch the guide. The resource directory contains information on a variety of subjects, such as applying for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) card, finding an apartment, job search, finding a family doctor and more. More than two years ago, the PHDTB determined there was a need for such a document, so the training board took the lead in getting the book published.

“When the issue concerning newcomers came up, one of the key challenges identified was that when newcomers come to Canada, they have a hard time finding the various places needed for their transition into the Canadian life,” said Shalini da Cunha, PHDTB executive director. “Our biggest priority should be to put all the information into a compact document so that the newcomers aren't frustrated and their journey into Canadian life is less stressful.” The book is partly funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, which gave the training board $35,000. The books will be handed out to newcomers when they get their SIN or health cards. Employment Ontario, which funds the PHDTB, provided seed money for the book, and the cost of printing was provided by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Augustine, who heads Ontario's first-ever Fairness Commission, promised to work with different agencies to ensure the process of accreditation for foreign trained workers is simple, transparent and fair. “We want individuals to know that the Fairness Commission is not an ombudsman's office, but our mandate is to understand what the issues are and then talk to the regulatory bodies about them,” Augustine said. “This book is very important because not only does it give information in terms of telephone numbers, addresses, but it also shows there's a whole network of support within the community.”

Canadian Visas go Hi-Tech

by: Tom Godfrey, Sun Media

First there was the bogus story of a spy transmitter in our red-poppy quarter, now Ottawa is testing - for real - a Canadian visa that emits a radio signal to track the document and those using it. About 17,000 students, visitors and refugees took part in a pilot project in which a transmitter was placed inside a visa to emit data that was received by immigration machine readers, according to documents and government officials. The visas were available during a pilot program at Canadian offices in Seattle and Hong Kong that ran from last October to April. The results are now being compiled. Immigration spokesman Karen Shadd-Evelyn said data like photographs or fingerprints are beamed by a transmitter in the visa to a machine reader as the person drives by. The technology is already in use in the U.S. to track visitors entering and exiting that country.

"The technology is not for tracking people," Shadd-Evelyn said yesterday. "The results are being tabulated and a final report will be published in the fall." But immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said the technology can be modified to track or monitor people by security officials in and outside of Canada. "This is an electronic leash to monitor people," Kurland said. The visa contains a radio frequency identification chip and associated "antenna" circuitry pasted underneath, according to a freedom of information request.

Know about Immigration Advisers

source: Toronto Star

You don’t necessarily need anyone to help you with your immigration application. Helpful information and all forms can be downloaded from Canada’s official immigration website (http://cic.gc.ca). Unfortunately, this information is in English or French only.
• If you decide you need help, you can retain either a lawyer or a registered member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), who will charge for their services. Consultants are not necessarily cheaper than lawyers. Lawyers do not necessarily do a better job than consultants. A lawyer or consultant who has a poor reputation with officials could damage your chances. Fees can vary a lot. So shop around. Ask other immigrants for recommendations. Talk to several potential advisers. Ask for references.
• You can also seek free help from a reputable not-for-profit group. Not-for-profit groups cannot ask for money beyond applicable government fees. (These fees are listed on the website)
• Ask prospective advisers:
• Do they use an agent to complete the work?
• What qualifications and experience do they have?
• What services will they provide, and what are the fees?

For lawyers:
• Are they authorized by a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or the Chambre des notaires du Quebec?

For consultants:
• Do they belong to CSIC?
• Beware of anything that seems too good to be true, such as very low service fees. That may indicate that little effort will be put into your case. Expect to pay $3,000 for help with an application requiring supporting materials, such as a refugee claim or a humanitarian and compassionate application, and less for work permits, visa extensions and family sponsorships.
• Negotiate a written agreement that says precisely what services will be provided and gives a clear breakdown of fees for each. Have the consultant or lawyer sign a retainer (form: IMM5476) that is available on Immigration Canada’s website. Make sure you keep a copy. It’s good to bring in a friend or relative who knows English or French to interpret.
• Never leave original identification documents with a consultant or lawyer.
• Ask for receipts and copies of all documents in your file. There is no good reason for a consultant or lawyer not to issue these.
• Never base a claim on lies, even if your adviser suggests it. It is your file, and you are responsible for what is in it. Remember that you are paying your adviser for a professional assessment of your application, not to tell you what you would like to hear.
• Be aware that Canada does not have an amnesty program for people here illegally. Be careful of anyone who claims something different.
• If you have a problem with your representative, you can file a complaint:

If the person is:
1. Not properly authorized to represent you in Canada: File a complaint with the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus (www.ccbbb.ca).
2. A local agent for a lawyer or a CSIC member: Discuss the complaint with the authorized person, who is ultimately responsible for the services.
3. A member of a Canadian law society: click here for link for a list of societies and then go to the appropriate website for more information. In Ontario: the Law Society of Upper Canada (see website or call 416-947-3310 or 800-268-7568).
4. A member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants: click here for link
5. A Quebec lawyer or notary: click here for link
6. If your immigration representative committed an illegal act, such as submitting fraudulent documentation on your application, contact the Immigration office that is processing your file, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

From: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, various consultants, lawyers and immigrant advocacy groups; Toronto Star research.

Oil attracts Migration in Canada in a Century

source: news.sawf.org

Not since the late 1800s when tens of thousands of Europeans settled in Canada's wild west have so many people migrated here, but recent newcomers are still too few to abate a growing demand for oil industry workers. Western Alberta province sits atop an estimated 175 billion barrels of oil, ranking second behind Saudi Arabia in petroleum reserves.

But due to high extraction costs, the deposits were long neglected except by local companies. Since 2000, skyrocketing crude prices and improved extraction technologies have lured significant foreign investment that has pushed oil sands production to one million barrels per day. And, according to a recent Alberta Energy and Utilities Board report, output is expected to triple over the next decade, making Alberta one of the biggest energy producers in the world. But a shortage of skilled workers, despite attracting 57,000 migrants from across Canada and 20,000 immigrants from abroad to the province last year, is now threatening to curb its unprecedented economic growth, say officials. "Right now, we know that in the next 10 years, we'll need some 400,000 workers and even if we are educating more and attracting more, we'll still be short about 109,000," Iris Evans, Alberta's minister of employment, immigration and industry, told AFP. The province's unemployment rate has fallen below 4.0 percent to its lowest level ever. To fill job vacancies, Canada is now looking to boost the number of temporary worker permits issued for Alberta's booming oil sands industry, and is aggressively recruiting foreign workers in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. "We recognize that without immigration, we are not going to meet our expectations," Evans said.

But labor bosses have expressed concern that foreign workers are vulnerable to being exploited by unscrupulous employers. On its website, the Alberta Federation of Labor says, "some employers take advantage of these workers by not paying them fairly, charging high rents and making unfair demands." "They are new to Canada and unfamiliar with our rules, customs and, often, language. They are dependent upon their employer for their visa, their work and often their housing and transportation," the union says. To complicate matters, housing is in very short supply here, and there are not enough tradespeople to build more homes to meet growing demand. "Fort McMurray is a great place to live if you can find a place to live," says Pascal, a new arrival from Quebec province, sitting in front of his camper in a trailer park a few kilometers (miles) from Canada's oil sands capital. The campground is home to hundreds of oil industry workers, and hundreds more are on a waiting list to get in, willing to pay monthly fees comparable to the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto, Canada's largest metropolis, to park their own mobile homes in a dirt field - about 865 US dollars monthly. The population of Fort McMurray, about 700 kilometers (450 miles) north of Calgary, has doubled to 65,000 since 1996, and could triple in the next decade.

Fort McMurray mayor Melissa Blake said the local shelter is overcrowded and many newcomers are unable to find any lodging. "There has always been homelessness in our community. With all those people coming in you expect more of that, but what is actually happening is that the nature of our homeless people has changed. We have people working, earning money and they still cannot access affordable housing," she said. Blake blames a lack of funding from the province, which generates oil sands royalties, for lagging municipal services too. Pascal's abode is austere, but the campground is a bargain compared to the cost of renting an apartment in Fort McMurray, which, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing, boasts the highest average rental costs in the country - up to 3,500 US dollars per month. His neighbor Steve, from eastern Ontario province, however, has had enough of living poor while earning a small fortune in the oil sector. He also complained about the widespread sale of narcotics and prostitution that high wages and small town boredom attracts, not to mention the freezing cold. "I'm getting... out of here," he told AFP. "It was minus 47 (degrees Celsius) in the winter and these... trailers are not made for that kind of cold."

Watchdog needs Teeth - Lessons and Solutions

source: Toronto Star

People who hope to call Canada home often seek advice from immigration consultants to fulfil their dreams. But consultants who are incompetent, negligent or unscrupulous can destroy dreams, tarnish Canada's image, and burden taxpayers by clogging the system with applicants who don't stand a chance. Three years after Ottawa set up a self-regulating body meant to clean up the lucrative industry and protect vulnerable newcomers, a Star investigation finds that little has changed. The regulatory body says the future looks bright, but it lacks a big stick.

Offering immigration advice in Britain without proper credentials will land you in court, facing a fine and up to two years in prison. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner – a public body created in 2001 to police the industry – has the power to knock down doors. There have been 55 successful prosecutions. Nearly one in five went to jail. Its investigators, 10 former police officers, go after "ghost" advisers – people who charge for their services but are undetected because they don't sign documents – and charge them with a criminal offence. But along with wielding a big stick, the office also proffers a carrot. Some illegal operators are simply persuaded to go legit and join. Last year, the commission identified 690 suspect operations. In two-thirds, they either got the people on-board, heard satisfactory explanations, or closed the shop. "We say, `Are you going to join us? We'll love you and support you and make you feel good because you'll be part of the legitimate. Or, we'll prosecute you. Make a choice.'" That's how Commissioner Suzanne McCarthy explained the program last month in Toronto at the first annual conference of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) – to much applause.

Compare that to Canada's oversight body, which has only a limp carrot – membership in the fledgling society – and no stick to prevent "ghost" consultants from doing as they please. While registered members of CSIC (currently 1,068) pay annual dues of $2,067 and are ostensibly subject to standards and codes of conduct, the ghosts pay nothing – and follow no rules. CSIC was formed three years ago to clean up an industry with a bad reputation. Its architects considered the British model but ultimately chose one more like Australia's, a government-endorsed body set up as a corporation. They did not insist on a law making it illegal to charge fees for providing immigration advice without being a member. That thwarts any hope of bringing down unethical or incompetent consultants – or protecting the rights of Canadians and newcomers alike. The harshest penalty a rogue consultant faces from Citizenship and Immigration Canada is a refusal to deal with him, or his files. And that mostly penalizes clients, who can get letters from immigration threatening them with becoming inadmissible for using an unauthorized representative.

And there are lots of ghosts – as many as 5,000, according to one estimate – operating beyond its reach in Canada. Plus an unknown number abroad. "I'm not going to gloss over it," says CSIC's chair and one of its founders, John Ryan. "There's a considerable number of people who are trying to circumvent the regulations; as in any system, people are trying to get around it. It's just the way things are." Without the power to lay penalties, CSIC is reduced to such measures as pleading with ethnic newspapers to run ads only from CSIC members. "The whole issue of discipline and enforcement is a multi-jurisdictional one," Ryan said in an interview. He says it's up to Ottawa – the RCMP, Immigration, the Immigration and Refugee Board, and Canada Border Services – to do their part. "We certainly govern the activities of our members." In interviews with the Star, everyone – from CSIC and a consulting lobby group, to advocacy groups and the RCMP – agreed there are better ways of protecting the people they all agree are most vulnerable: the clients. Here are some possible solutions:

Criminalize ghosting: Francisco Rico-Martinez, former CSIC board member and founder of Faithful Companions of Jesus Refugee Centre, says his not-for-profit group spends about 30 per cent of its time dealing with the fallout from bad advice and poor work performed by consultants, many but not all of them unregistered. "This is a serious pain in the ass," Rico-Martinez says in an interview at the west Toronto centre that is also his home. "And neither CSIC nor the Mounties are able to do much about it," he says. "You don't have a way to catch them." Anyone who complains to Immigration Canada about a consultant will be referred to the Mounties, who are supposed to enforce the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, but the focus is on human trafficking and smuggling. The RCMP do not bust consultants simply for operating outside regulations. Investigations of unregistered advisers are rare and difficult, and must involve fraud, such as misrepresenting the facts on an immigration application, or counselling someone to enter a "marriage of convenience."

Usually, it takes a lot of money or multiple victims to be worth the effort. "If you steal $100,000, the RCMP might not be interested," says Phil Mooney, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants. "If you steal $1 million, they might come." The architects of CSIC did ponder making unregistered consulting a criminal offence, but felt a vaguely worded provision in existing immigration law – which would charge clients for failing to disclose that they had used a representative – would work. It has not. CSIC designers also figured that because so many consultants work in other countries, a Criminal Code provision wouldn't have much effect. "We're in a bad situation," says Rico-Martinez, who was a lawyer back in his native El Salvador. "The only way is to be very strong with these guys."

Find the will: Changing law requires political will. CSIC's founders chose the self-regulatory model in part because it was the path of least resistance: It required no major changes in law, posed no legal liability to Ottawa. And at a cost of $1.2 million in federal seed money – or about a dollar for every immigrant who arrived in Canada over the past five years – it was cheap. In a post-9/11 environment, Ottawa also saw it as a way to fight the perception that our borders are porous. "Incidences of fraud and other questionable practices should be greatly reduced, while at the same time increasing the Canada Border Services Agency's ability to meet its immigration enforcement mandate," Anne McLellan, then minister of public safety, said in a news release just before CSIC was launched in April 2004. "With these new regulations, everyone will have access to accredited, qualified and ethical representation," immigration minister Judy Sgro said in the same release. Now in Opposition, Sgro did not respond to the Star's requests to talk about CSIC. Nor did her successor, Joe Volpe, whose assistant said he had "no interest" in doing so. Current minister Diane Finley never responded. The Immigration and Refugee Board also had nothing to say about CSIC's progress.

The lack of interest may suggest where immigration ranks in the priorities on Parliament Hill. "They change immigration ministers as often as some people change underwear," complains Ben Trister, past CSIC chair and one of its architects. "It's hard to get (them) to fully apprise themselves of the pros and cons and the history of an organization." In the early days, the immigration department had a representative at CSIC board meetings. But the department representative was pulled out in March 2006, just months after turmoil on the board over financial management and governance concerns became public fodder. According to a spokesperson, the department felt its "presence at board meetings was not necessary any more." Now, CSIC has only a reporting relationship to the government. Because federal seed money was involved, it must provide updates on finances, administration and other developments. The immigration department wouldn't say how it felt about the society's performance. Evaluating CSIC is a job for its members, a spokesperson said. CSIC executives told the Star they consider the department a "partner" and have a good relationship. Trister says the department could and should monitor CSIC more closely and more actively protect immigration applicants – but doesn't, in part, because many consultants are former immigration officers (one in four, by one estimate). Trister says the other part is simply that "They don't care enough about this file. "That's regrettable."

Educate the customer: Googling Canada, immigration and information produces 12.5 million hits. Only a minute fraction lead to a government website. The vast majority take you to consultants, recruiters and agents who make their pitch in a Babel of languages. Do the same search in Spanish, and neither the government site nor CSIC shows up in the first 100 hits. You will, however, find many Latin American websites touting life in Canada. Getting out the "official" message is a challenge, yet the only real hope for protecting prospective migrants from bad advisers lies in educating a global audience. CSIC provides limited information on its website, in eight languages. Immigration Canada's site is solely English and French. Both agree more could be done. Ryan says CSIC is committed to "empowering the consumers by educating them," and has placed ads in ethnic papers.

The RCMP has begun sending officers to community meetings to share advice they hope will spread to would-be migrants. "People are victimized because they don't know the system," says RCMP Cpl. Kevin Gibson. "They go on the Internet, they find somebody, they send the money, they get ripped off ... "Education is a way to help disrupt these criminals from doing their jobs." There are reasons to be optimistic. CSIC's newest members are graduates of approved college programs and must pass language proficiency and knowledge tests. Members must fulfill yearly professional development requirements. Its disciplinary system is finally up and running. "We've really matured," says CSIC's Ryan, a former immigration officer. "We've ramped up an entire regulatory body in three years." Phil Mooney, president of the industry group CAPIC and a consultant, says: "Give us a little time. In a year, consumers will see a difference." Ben Trister takes a more doubtful view. A lawyer who co-founded the society and later quit the CSIC board amid internal disputes, he believes Canada is no further ahead than it was three years ago. But he sees some reason for hope that migrants will be better served.

"The best solution is to ensure competency of the profession, with initial passing of exams, continuing education programs, re-testing people," he says. "If you do that, you're solving a huge part of the problem." Others don't believe the industry will ever mature to the point where it is deserving of self-regulation. "We're trying to make an occupation into a profession," says Rico-Martinez, another CSIC founding member who resigned in 2005. "They are representing people in a very specific area of the law. The training is very flexible, the experience and moral implications are very flexible as well." For now, consulting remains very much a business, not unlike that of a real estate agent. Both sell homes, but in the case of consultants, poor advice can lead to more than a missed opportunity. "Many of those who seek immigration advice are very vulnerable," the U.K. immigration commissioner, Suzanne McCarthy, reminded Canadian consultants at their recent gathering. "They may be frightened that if they rock the boat, they're going to be removed. Such people are very easy targets for exploitation. "That's why there's a need for good immigration advisers who are fit and competent, that's why my office is necessary in the U.K. ... "Bad immigration advice," she said, "ruins lives."