For the first time, charges have been laid under Saskatchewan’s former immigration protection law.Three Moose Jaw employers — Kartikkumar Prakashkumar Patel, Rutvik Hasmukhbhai Patel, and Piyushkumar Mafatbhai Patel — face three charges each under The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act, 2013 (FWRISA). The alleged offences occurred between August 2023 and February 2024 at the Guac Mexi Grill restaurant in Moose Jaw.The charges include taking or threatening action against a foreign worker for making a complaint or taking part in an investigation, taking unfair advantage of a foreign national’s trust or exploiting fear or inexperience, and charging a foreign worker a fee or expense for employment — all contrary to sections of FWRISA..The accused are scheduled to appear in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on November 25.Saskatchewan replaced FWRISA with The Immigration Services Act, 2024 (ISA) on July 1. The province says the new law is the most comprehensive of its kind in Canada, with the highest penalties for violations. Because the alleged offences took place before the ISA took effect, the charges were laid under the older legislation.The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training’s Program Compliance Branch enforces the laws meant to protect immigrants and foreign workers in the province. The government notes that all employees — whether Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or temporary foreign workers — are also protected by employment standards and occupational health and safety laws under The Saskatchewan Employment Act.
