Steve Ellis - former immigration judge found guilty

Good news in the sex-for-immigration-approval story from a few months back: former immigration judge Steve Ellis was found guilty of breach of trust and an Immigration and Refugee Protection Act charge of bribery. This creep tried to use his power over a South Korean woman named Ji Hye Kim to force her to sleep with him in exchange for a positive ruling in her case.

The court saw through his flimsy excuse that though he "never asked for sex" from Ms. Kim, it was clearly his intent all along.

Read the sordid details and happy result here.

Immigration abuse in the press - too legit to quit?

I have heard the phrase, "abuse of Canada's immigration system" a lot in the press lately. Mainly in association with Minister Kenney's proposed reforms to the asylum process. Editorials like those in The Globe and Mail parrot Kenney and up the exposure of his proposals. Here's my problem: Where is the PROOF? I checked the CIC web site, and they don't seem to keep statistics on this issue. So where is Kenney getting his data? Has anyone thought to ask? The press seems to go along like sheep, debating his proposal legitimately when the real question should be, "is this, in fact, a legitimate issue?"

If it is, I'd love to know the source of the statistical data that backs up the abuse of Canada's immigration system - systematic or otherwise.

Ontario claims Ottawa short-changing immigrant programs

Reporting for The Star today, Richard J. Brennan wrote:

"The federal Conservative government has short-changed Ontario at least $193 million in promised money for immigrant settlement programs, the provincial government says.

"Ottawa agreed in 2005 to transfer $920 million over five years in new immigration funding to Ontario, ending March 31.

"But Ontario Citizenship and Immigration Minister Eric Hoskins says the money the province has received falls short of the original promise."

Read the entire article here