Liberals admit Ottawa unable to track 800 fraudulent foreign students flagged in audit

Immigration officials cannot account for the whereabouts of 800 foreign students flagged as fraudsters in a recent federal audit, with Immigration Minister Lena Diab telling MPs she does not know whether they remain in Canada or have been removed.Blacklock's Reporter says the admission came during a tense Commons immigration committee hearing, weeks after Auditor General Karen Hogan released a March 23 report criticizing the federal government’s handling of the international student program. The audit found officials were slow to act on clear signs of fraud, even after being alerted to suspicious applications.“They are flagged and can be deported,” Diab told the committee, but confirmed she did not have information on where the individuals are or how many may still be in the country.Conservative MP Brad Redekopp pressed the minister repeatedly for answers, asking how many of the 800 had been located, removed, or filed asylum claims. Diab said she did not have those figures.“It’s been six weeks since the Auditor General tabled her report,” Redekopp said. “How many of them are still in the country?”“I don’t have that information,” Diab replied..The questioning extended to a broader group of 39,500 individuals identified in the audit as people who should no longer be in Canada. Diab again said she could not provide figures on how many still hold valid permits, have left voluntarily, or have claimed asylum.“There is work ongoing,” she told MPs when asked whether the department could locate them.Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner challenged the minister on whether any of the 800 fraudulent students had been deported, raising concerns about the lack of a functioning exit-entry tracking system.“And to be clear, you don’t have a functioning exit-entry tracking system yet, is that correct?” Rempel Garner asked.“The system is in development,” Diab responded, without offering further details.MP Costas Menegakis described the situation as a systemic failure, arguing the audit exposed deeper problems with Canada’s immigration controls.“It is obviously a major failure,” he said, accusing the government of allowing large numbers of entrants without adequate tracking or enforcement mechanisms..The Auditor General’s report found the fraudulent cases often involved falsified school records and, in some instances, institutions that did not exist. The findings have intensified scrutiny of the international student program, which has seen rapid growth in recent years.The federal government has said it is developing an action plan to address the deficiencies, but opposition MPs say the lack of basic information about thousands of individuals raises serious questions about oversight, enforcement, and the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.

Liberals admit Ottawa unable to track 800 fraudulent foreign students flagged in audit

Related Stories

IRCC is aiming to accelerate permanent residence for 33,000 foreign workers

Audit finds missing paperwork, weak oversight in Anita Anand’s foreign affairs department

Citizenship guide rewrite spotlights Liberal appointees, omits historic figures

Immigration minister denies audit findings on foreign student fraud as thousands of cases go unchecked