Canada visa system flawed—Auditor general

Canada, 23rd November: Canada’s Interim Auditor General John Wiersema has revealed serious loopholes in Canada visa system.

He said such a system could be letting in not just people affected with dreaded diseases but also mobsters and terrorists alike.

Manage health and security before issuing Canada visas--In a recent report made to parliament, General Wiersema added that it is high time Canada immigration department and Canada border services agency officials begin taking required steps for effectively managing the risks associated with health, security and safety before issuing of Canada visas.

Potential immigrants were being admitted into Canada without any proper assessment of their medical assessment. The Canada visa officials don’t bother to focus on any of 56 diseases except tuberculosis and syphilis.

Canada visa officials lack training, tools—He made no bones about revealing that Canada visa officials were not adequately trained nor did they possess requisite tools and equipments needed for identifying applicants posing high risk to the health and safety of the nation.

He added that Canada visa officials were responsible for refusal or grant of Canada visa. But, the apathy is that such officials lacked basic tools needed to get the right information and make appropriate decisions. The officials of Canada immigration department were ill-trained, overworked and poorly supervised, he quipped.

Moreover, around two-third of visa officials based overseas and interviewed by the team of Wiersema admitted problems with regard to validation of information which the applicants provide.

Canada visa officials did not bother to conduct compulsory checks on nearly 80 percent of Canada permanent residency applicants, he maintained.

The number of applications processed by Canada immigration department in the year 2010 is said to be 1.04 million for those wanting temporary residence in Canada and 317,000 for applicants seeking permanent residence in Canada.

This report revealing serious flaws in Canada immigration system comes at a time when the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is slated to visit the US next month for signing an agreement seeking closer collaboration on US-Canada border security.

Canada immigration minister Jason Kenney has, meanwhile, agreed with concerns raised by General Wiersema adding that the federal government has already invested huge funds for bringing desired improvement in border security screenings.