Refugee numbers in Windsor, Ont., are climbing. So are reports of fake immigration lawyers

Immigrants and refugees arrivingin Canada are often seeking a better life, but there are concerns some are being exposed to darker elements in the form ofimmigration fraud.

Some people are posing as immigration lawyers and consultants in Windsor, Ont., according to a refugee claimant support organization and legal-aid officials.

Mike Morency, executive director at Matthew House, said the problem of fraudulent immigration lawyers is getting worsein the southwestern Ontario border city in part because of the increase in people seeking asylum.

"It's definitely increasing and it's putting people's lives at risk. If [a claim] is considered abandoned or that you failed because you had inadequate legal representation, you're done," said Morency. "Thanks for coming out. Go back to your home country. Don't ever try again."

The number of refugees currently on the books in Windsor sits at approximately 1,400, with nearly 900 of them living in local hotels.

"With the number of refugee claimants coming into the country, there's not enough really good lawyers, which creates a vacuum," he said.

"We're seeing lots of examples where people have gone to lawyers and rather than letting them know about legal aid, which they're supposed to do, they're making them sign [up to] $10,000, IOUs for a retainer."

Similar complaints about fraudulent lawyers preying on newcomers were recently brought to light in Montreal.

"Just this week we had a situation where multiple clients from one particular lawyer where they didn't bother submitting the paperwork, and one of them passed the deadline. So our staff are scrambling to try to help the person get the paperwork submitted," said Morency.

In other instances, Morency said, they're seeing immigration consultants present themselves as lawyers.

"People are showing up to us saying, 'my lawyer dropped me, I've got my hearing date, and my lawyer said they won't represent me,' .... because they're not a lawyer.

Fake lawyers using social media to connect

David Cote, with legal aid in Windsor, said fraudulent lawyers who prey on immigrants are using social media before the families even begin their journeys to Canada.

"Sometimes it's before they get here," Cote said. "Sometimes it's when they've already arrived. It could be being solicited perhaps in person, but more likely we find that people are being contacted by Facebook."

According to Cote, other peopleare being lured over TikTok and other social media platforms by offering "assurances"they'll be able to live in Canada long term.

"It's those guarantees that really entice people to want to contact that person."

WATCH | Spike in reports of fake immigration lawyers and consultants in Montreal:

Spike in reports of fake immigration lawyers and consultants in Montreal

8 months ago

Duration 1:59

Cote said refugees often figure out they've been duped when it's almost too late.

"It's difficult for people to know exactly what the process is. So what we try to do when we first come is to introduce them to the process. We try to explain what the process is going to be."

How would-be immigrants canprotect themselves

Legal aid in Windsor said refugees canprotect themselves from fake immigration lawyers by using the Legal Aid Ontario website to authentic who's who.

"The immigration lawyers who are registered in our area with their contact details so that they can contact them. There are not enough immigration lawyers in our area," said Cote.

Trying to intercept would-be newcomers sooner in the immigration process is also key, according to Cote.

"If somebody is guaranteeing you something if they're saying there's no problem if they're asking you to lie on your application and you really feel uncomfortable about doing that trust your gut feeling and try to find assistance somewhere else."

LISTEN | People are posing as immigration lawyers in Windsor, Ont.:

Windsor Morning14:44People are posing as immigation lawyers and defrauding Windsor's newcomers

Morency said if someone claiming to be an immigration lawyer isn't telling you about legal aid and asks for a big retainer up front it should serve as a warning about their credentials and motivations.

"We have curated a list of lawyers that we have found to be very successful in representing people, as well as being culturally appropriate, and other factors like whether they can practice virtually. We don't tell people what lawyers to use, but we do a lot of education around the importance of having a good lawyer."

Morency said existing refugee claimant lawyers are maxed out in the Windsor area, despite more people looking to land there.

"The problem is getting worse," he said, pointing to 12 different situations this week.

"Spending upwards of 40 per cent of our time trying to help people clean up messes that have been created by others, and it's not all nefarious.

"Sometimes there's people or agencies that try to help refugee claimants and they just don't know what they're doing. It's very much a specialty practice of law."