Lawyer and interpreter from BC face dozens of charges over fraudulent refugee claims

A lawyer and interpreter from British Columbia have been charged with dozens of offences in relation to an investigation into fraudulent refugee claims.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the charges against Delta resident Roger Bhatti, 61, and Vancouver resident Sofiane Dahak, 52, yesterday.

Bhatti and Dahak are accused of colluding with foreign nationals to misrepresent refugee claims to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

The foreign nationals had come to Canada from Central Europe, CBSA said.

Most of them have since been removed from Canada.

Bhatti is charged on the following counts:

• misrepresenting material facts in relation to refugee claims, pursuant to Section 127(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (x8);

• counselling misrepresentation of material facts in relation to refugee claims, pursuant to Section 126 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (x1);

• forgery, pursuant to Section 366(1)(b) of the Criminal Code (x4); and,

• use of a forged document, pursuant to Section 368(1)(b) of the Criminal Code (x7).

Dahak is charged on the following counts:

• misrepresenting material facts in relation to refugee claims, pursuant to Section 127(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (x7); and

• counselling misrepresentation of material facts in relation to refugee claims, pursuant to Section 126 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (x1).

The CBSA said the offences were committed between Feb. 2002 and March 2014.

Its investigation began in 2012, with search warrants executed in June 2014.

The duo will appear in court on Oct. 6.

“Canada’s refugee system assists people who are forced to flee their countries because of a well-founded fear of persecution,” CBSA’s Nina Patel said.

“Trying to ‘game the system’ by falsification and misrepresentation of information is not only illegal, but delays the processing of genuine refugees in need of protection. This is a serious issue and the CBSA is committed to holding offenders accountable.”