The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Canada's Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander today commended the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for its investigation leading to charges against two individuals and a company for immigration fraud in Montreal.

CBSA today announced that Rafic Mansour, Meryem El-Hassani, and the company Méthode & Systèmes de données, Figures inc. were charged with offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Criminal Code.

“I would like to commend the Canada Border Services Agency on their diligent work that led to these arrests and charges,” said Minister Blaney. “Our Government remains committed to identifying and charging fraudulent immigration consultants who take advantage of our country's laws.”

“It is clear that a lot of hard work and dedication led to the charges against these individuals,” said Minister Alexander. “Our government is sending a very strong message to fraudulent immigration consultants: we will not tolerate abuse of Canada's generous immigration system. Our government will continue to take action to protect the integrity of our immigration system and ensure that those who break the rules face the full force of the law.”

For more information on this case, visit the Canada Border Services Agency website.

Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.

For further information:

Jason Tamming
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657

Media Relations
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650

Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
(613) 957-6500

src:news.gc.ca