Going to North America: Beware of sakawa contractors

Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

As the perception that living conditions are too hard for mankind to make ends meet in Africa and particularly in Ghana, more people are going to fall victim to visa scams or duped by visa contractors as they struggle to seek new destination in United States of America[U.S.A] and Canada.

Apart from being duped by visa contractors, these victims are also likely to face hard living conditions as a result of serious economic recession being experienced by these two countries in the North American region, which could be best described as "from frying pan to fire".

Despite the hard economic recession being experienced in the region, it has been observed that hundreds of experienced and qualified professionals keep struggling everyday to acquire visas to migrate to these destinations with the reason that they are getting out of hard living conditions in Ghana, not knowing it is more hard here with daily laid offs and folding up of institutions that offer jobs to many people.

For instance, Canada has been described as the destination of a quarter of million people seeking a new home every year. These new destination seekers are attracted by the prize of the Canadian citizenship, a strong democracy and a stable government.

The country's immigration system is fair-by law-to every newcomer. What has become unfortunate these days is the rate at which hundreds of newcomers continue to fall victim of scams by visa contractors or best described in Canada as "immigration fraud artists".

One of the immigration scam victim Ricardo Miranda, his wife Irma Lugue and son Christian, told their story and posted on the immigration Canada website, as how they were duped by immigration fraud artists as they left Chile several years ago in their dream for a new life in Canada. Though they struggled hard to make it and now live in Toronto as permanent residents in the country, achieving that status nearly caused them their life.

Accordingly, they put their faith in a Canadian visa consultant who promised to offer them work and visas as he charged the family five thousand U.S dollars and kept them waiting for several years yet he delivered no results.

Ricardo Miranda said, "I feel bad, I can not say anything because maybe this guy will call the police or maybe immigration or I do not know. I am scared about my family". This family is not alone. Every year, many newcomers, isolated from home and friends, with limited language skills are lured by false promises of high paying jobs and guaranteed visas by unscrupulous immigration representatives.

Robin Selignman, a certified immigration Lawyer said, "they just want to make a buck and at the end of the day people have to understand they will lie, they will do whatever they have to get their money".

Investigation has revealed that there are lots of scams advertisements in publications from around the world promising to offer jobs and settlement in Canada for fees reaching into thousands of dollars, thus making thousands of people including those in Ghana fall victims to immigration fraud.

It came out that crudely constructed letters note the star fish background claiming to represent the government of Canada. Also, some Internet fraudsters use a wooly mammoth - not exactly a Canadian symbol.

In all, one thing stand tall, that, one can not guarantee anyone visa to Canada or move the person up in line. However, there are some good genuine immigration consultants on www.gc.ca.

"You can not lie on your application form and still go to Canada. If we find out that there is a lie you won't be going anywhere or if you do end up in Canada, we will take steps to remove you" Ann Annott, director general international region has warned people seeking new destination in Canada.

Credit: Stephen A. Quaye, Toronto-Canada.
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