Posted on 05/08/2007 6:58:00 AM PDT by GMMAC
Taxi driver fabricated refugee claim: IRB
Faces deportation; Provided fraudulent documents, made up new identity
Stewart Bell, National Post
Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
TORONTO - Immigration authorities have stripped a Toronto-area taxi driver of his refugee status after finding out his story of religious persecution in Pakistan was fabricated, allegedly with the help of a lawyer.
When he arrived at the Canadian border at Fort Erie, Ont., in 2003, Ghulam Mustafa Raja not only gave a made-up account of his life, he also lied about his religion, marital status, date of birth and even his name.
He later admitted his refugee claim was a "complete fabrication" but said a Canadian lawyer and his assistant, whom he met at a hotel in Buffalo, N.Y., had concocted the false story and also advised him to use a fake name.
The Canada Border Services Agency intervened in his case after learning Mr. Raja had obtained refugee status by deception and the Immigration and Refugee Board ruled on April 12 to vacate his claim.
"The evidence is overwhelming that all of the allegations of material fact made by the respondent in his claim before this board were false," the IRB ruled. "I am also of the opinion that he knowingly and deliberately misled this board in all facts material to his claim." He now faces deportation.
"This case demonstrates that the system works," said Anna Pape, spokeswoman for the border agency. "The CBSA has succeeded in ensuring that those who choose to misrepresent themselves do not ultimately benefit from Canada's protection."
The 41-year-old former Pakistan army veteran entered the United Stated in 1997 but after the Americans turned down his asylum request, he went the Canadian border and made a refugee claim under the name Raja Ghulam Murtaza.
In his Canadian paperwork, he claimed he was being persecuted in Pakistan because he had converted to Shia Islam from the Sunni faith practiced by the majority. To support his refugee claim, Mr. Raja provided fraudulent documents.
The IRB accepted his refugee claim in 2004, but the CBSA stepped in last February after learning Mr. Raja was actually living in the United States during the time he claimed he was being persecuted in Pakistan.
At hearings, his lawyer argued Mr. Raja should not be faulted because he had received bad advice from another lawyer, but the IRB said Mr. Raja had signed his name to his false story and could not abdicate responsibility "by saying that it was somebody else's idea."
A cabbie in Newmarket, Mr. Raja set off alarms last year because he had claimed to be a member of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Lashkare-Tayyiba, but he said he made that up as well because he thought it would help him gain asylum in the United States.
Sbell@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2007
Check this out
“A cabbie in Newmarket, Mr. Raja set off alarms last year because he had claimed to be a member of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Lashkare-Tayyiba, but he said he made that up as well because he thought it would help him gain asylum in the United States.”
Kind of jumps out at you, doesn’t it? Thought his links to a terror group would help him gain asylum in U.S....thanks Pelosi, Reid, Durbin, Kucinich...
In some alternate universe this may be accurate, but claiming to be part of al-Qaeda may be one of the only sure fire ways to ensure denial of entry to the U.S.
(At least I hope this is true...)
One down, probably about 50,000 more to go. Everyone in the world, practically, knows that if you want to come to Canada all you have to do is dispose of your documents before you arrive and make a refugee claim. At the very least you’ll get several years, at taxpayers expense, to build a life here so that if your refugee claim is rejected you can then make a claim on huminatarian basis.
Now we can finally be rid of this guy ...
er, that is, in 5 years or so, after the endless appeals (all the way up to the Supreme Court) get done with ....
This PC crap is going to kill us all.
.....if we allow it.
“This case demonstrates that the system works,” said Anna Pape, spokeswoman for the border agency.” — Well, no. It won’t have demonstrated that the system works until this POS is sent back to his natal hell hole in Pakistan. Please see my tagline.
“he had claimed to be a member of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Lashkare-Tayyiba.....Thought his links to a terror group would help him gain asylum in U.S....thanks Pelosi, Reid, Durbin, Kucinich”
Of course............
The Lashkare-Tayyiba are like Cuban refugees...If they can get here on dry land they get to stay...
Everyone knows that...
Where’s your compassion?
s/
Meanwhile his kids go to your schools free and he can still get all those government freebies...
When we start dealing with immigration, lack of effective enforcement endorsed at the highest government levels, it is much more serious; specially under present world conditions, and the clear evidence for decades that foreign cultures want to tear us down at best (envy), or destroy us at worst for reasons good or ill.
TORONTO - Immigration authorities have stripped a Toronto-area taxi driver of his refugee status after finding out his story of religious persecution in Pakistan was fabricated, allegedly with the help of a lawyer.
Two points here; whatever the penalty for lying to get residency is, the penalty for lawyers to be complicit is much worse and should be punished accordingly. I don't remember ever hearing of a criminal immigration attorney being sent to jail How many "clients" does each corrupt attorney have each year?
When a criminal immigrant is discovered, is the attorney to help him also investigated? How can we even find answers to such questions?
When he arrived at the Canadian border at Fort Erie, Ont., in 2003, Ghulam Mustafa Raja not only gave a made-up account of his life, he also lied about his religion, marital status, date of birth and even his name.
This should carry the automatic penalty of instant expulsion with prejudice, and whatever children the criminal has had while in our country.
Why is this not automatic? Do we need new laws to address this?
He later admitted his refugee claim was a "complete fabrication" but said a Canadian lawyer and his assistant, whom he met at a hotel in Buffalo, N.Y., had concocted the false story and also advised him to use a fake name.
Assuming this US "lawyer" does not have a sandmaggot name, and is a citizen, both he and his assistant should do serious jail time and be disbarred. Crooked lawyers are worse than child molesters when it comes to recidivism.
Why a foreign national should be allowed to be a lawyer, blows my mind. If naturalized, in addition to disbarment, the appropriate punishment is expulsion with family with prejudice. No re-entry, ever.
The Canada Border Services Agency intervened in his case after learning Mr. Raja had obtained refugee status by deception and the Immigration and Refugee Board ruled on April 12 to vacate his claim.
Incompetent journalism again.
How did the services "learn" about this clown's fraud? What is considered acceptable evidence that a specific foreign national or naturalized citizen need closer scrutiny? What does it take?
Is it reasonable to allow naturalized citizens not only to participate in intense political activity, but to conceal his face and participate in violence while doing it?
The tolerance for that should be zero.
"The evidence is overwhelming that all of the allegations of material fact made by the respondent in his claim before this board were false," the IRB ruled. "I am also of the opinion that he knowingly and deliberately misled this board in all facts material to his claim." He now faces deportation.
How many muslim "immigrants" and visa violators are covered by this statement?
The threshold for tolerance for this whole issue should be set very very low. It is not presently in the U.S.
GGGGRRrrrrrrrrrr!
The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement was entered into on 2002-12-05 and came into effect 2004-12-29.
Under this agreement refugee claimants must make their claim to the first country of the two to which they arrive and cannot forum shop between the two countries.
“Wheres your compassion?
s/”
LOL.
It is even not without precedent for a judge to instruct the Crown that is presenting the case before him to refer the Court's findings of fact to the Law Society and report the Law Society's response back to the bench.
Nothing like a bit of public ordure stirring clear the sinuses and foster clearer thinking.
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