Rewarding Enterprise

As though Canada hasn't more than enough problems with its immigration system which in its open generosity leaves it and the country susceptible to unscrupulous advances by those who seek all the benefits of landed immigrant status and eventual citizenship without themselves investing in benefiting the country through shared values and commitments.

There have been too many instances where, once dual citizenship has been obtained, the country is abandoned, but benefits retained.

People are capable of fomenting the most detailed schemes to benefit themselves illegally, preying on the taxpayer, suffering no pangs of conscience that their unlawful criminal acts deprive others of scarce-funded benefits. The latest boondoggle has been revealed after a two-and-a-half-year investigation by the RCMP's Immigration and Passport and Commercial Crimes sections, with the arrest of three Canadian citizens.

Ahmad El-Akhal of Montreal, his wife Tahani Mohamad Hassan El-Akhal and Mississauga based Hussam Hassan Ali Saif have been arrested and now face charges under the Citizenship Act. Mr. El-Akhal spearheaded an innovative protocol of fraudulently obtaining Canadian citizenship, immigration and travel documents for three hundred non-Canadian citizens, in the process availing them of $500,000 in federal tax benefits.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada became aware that 320 permanent residence applications had listed at a single Canadian resident address, alerting them to an obvious irregularity that initiated the following investigation. All of these 320 applicants were linked back to the enterprising Mr. El-Akhal.

"Basically, this individual passed himself off as an immigrant consultant and assisted these people in obtaining permanent resident status and submitted the applications for them." (RCMP Sergeant Marc LaPort.)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada claims it is reviewing the matter and may revoke the citizenship status of those involved in the scheme. May revoke the citizenship status? Might we hope that a sterner resolve might be broached, to send a clear message to any other imaginative entrepreneurs in the future that this approach to Canadian benefits is not appreciated?

It's a fine mess that has resulted since, despite the arrests and the assurance that this trio can no longer finesse their scheme for implausible and illicit taxation entitlements, the government is still faced with a conundrum. How it may go about to reclaim and nullify the numbers of official documents that were issued in error under the direction of Mr. El-Akhal, now in circulation throughout the Middle East.

"It is important to note that while over 300 files were implicated, we can confirm only five people had obtained Canadian citizenship", a CIC spokesperson confided confidently. But in the names of those for whom Income Tax benefits were filed - and they were numerous - "They were getting tax refunds, goods and services tax rebates, child credit tax benefits...".

Fairly impressive, the lengths to which people will go to wrest tax-paid funds from government coffers, and do so with impunity for nine years before an investigation was eventually launched.