Foreign group home workers in Calgary told to leave

Adozen foreign workers in Calgary who say they were pressured into working illegally are packing their bags and heading back home after officials discovered didn't have the proper paperwork.

The workers, who have health care backgrounds and are mostly from the Philippines,say Immigration Canada has toldthemto return to their home countries voluntarily or face deportation.

They were working in group homes for Calgary-based Advanced Rehabilitation and Community Services.

"When I came here in Calgary, I thought they will do the processing of my papers, but instead they ask me to work immediately," said one of the workers.

The workers were told by immigration staff that they were working illegally because they didn't have a valid work permit.

"They said that I shouldn't worry anything about that, 'cause they will take care of it, and it's really hard to keep on asking and asking, because I don't want to give them a negative impression," the worker said.

CBC News has agreed not to identify the man, because he doesn't want to jeopardize his chances of returning to Canada.

The employer and the company that recruited the workers both said the other was misinformed about the rules.

"We're getting conflicting issues and stories, and finally we talked to the immigration officer, and he clarified that none of these people should be working for us," said Barry Robichaud, a spokesman for Advanced Rehabilitation and Community Services.

Dale Taylor, who helps immigrant workers at the Centre for Newcomers, said the workers'story isn't unique.

Manwants to return to Canada

"Because the system's complicated, there are lots of gaps and lots of opportunities for abuse, particularly by recruitment companies," she said. "There is maybe some by employers, but we don't see as much."

The employee interviewed by CBC News said he will go home, but he wants to return to Canada one day despite his ordeal, which began in Toronto.

The worker said he saved what he could of his $350 a month wage in the Philippines to afford the $4,500 he was illegally charged by a recruiter to come to Toronto. But there was no job waiting for him when he arrived in Canada, and he thought he was fortunate to finally find a new recruiter who had a job for him in Calgary.

"I really wanted to stay and be a permanent resident so I could [be] able to support my family," he said.

CBC News also contacted Immigration Canada and Border Services, but neither federal agency was able to comment on the case.