Forty-eight Surrey businesses have been fined a collective $914,000 over the past eight years for non-compliance with or , with $473,250 in those fines listed as unpaid.

The federal programsB次元官网网址� purpose, under the umbrella of Immigration and Citizenship Canada, is to oversee the hiring of temporary workers and set out conditions employers must abide by. Inspections are done in an effort to ensure compliance.

Eight numbered companies are among SurreyB次元官网网址檚 48, which includes construction, trucking, agriculture, restaurants, importing, security, a private elementary school, automotive, and labour services are among them.

All told, penalties have been levied against between 2016 and 2024.

The highest penalty applied to a Surrey business B次元官网网址� a numbered company B次元官网网址� was a $129,000 fine plus a one-year ban. The lowest fine was $500.

The also indicates Surrey businesses have reaped a collective 22 years in bans on hiring temporary workers.

Ken Hardie, Liberal MP for Fleetwood-Port Kells, said B次元官网网址減redatory practices involving temporary foreign workers and students, etcetera, theyB次元官网网址檝e been talked about for a long time and itB次元官网网址檚 taken us longer than it should have to really start to grapple with this.B次元官网网址�

He said thereB次元官网网址檚 now B次元官网网址渞eal discussions going on in OttawaB次元官网网址� about the selling Labour Market Impact Assessments for B次元官网网址渙utrageous amounts of money when theyB次元官网网址檙e not to be sold. So thereB次元官网网址檚 been a lot of gaming the system and my guess is the numbers that you saw in that report are low compared with whatB次元官网网址檚 actually going on.B次元官网网址�

An LMIA is a document an employer requires before hiring a foreign worker, with a positive LMIA indicating a need exists for a foreign worker to fill a job.

B次元官网网址淭his is all just the mutterings on the street you hear continuously about people abusing the system,B次元官网网址� Hardie told the Now-Leader. B次元官网网址淛ust in the last couple of days I saw some action on the LMIAs but that said, we have a lot on our plate right now that weB次元官网网址檙e talking about, and itB次元官网网址檚 mainly housing and the tax system and things like that.B次元官网网址�

Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman called the situation B次元官网网址渃oncerning.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 was not aware of that,B次元官网网址� she told the Now-Leader on Friday, when told about the 48. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had recent conversations with the federal government on the temporary foreign worker program. There are industries such as the agriculture sector, some of the Indian sweets shops, the manufacturers that require temporary foreign workers, there is a move to modify legislation for TFWs (temporary foreign workers) and further consultation with the private sector but I was not aware of the severity of the situation that youB次元官网网址檙e speaking of.B次元官网网址�

Randeep Sarai, Liberal MP for Surrey Centre, said the government has made it easier for employees who are not being paid or not getting a job after they arrive to report this to the Canada Border Services Agency which will then provide them with an open work permit while it investigates. B次元官网网址淚f it turns out to be true, they will give the opportunity to the employee to find another employer.B次元官网网址�

The federal government, he added, has also changed the immigration consultants industry from being self-regulating to government-regulated. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 repercussions and penaltiesB次元官网网址� Sarai said, B次元官网网址渂ut all of these do require the employee to report, and to report the irregularities or criminal activity or abuse.B次元官网网址� Employment Standards also does audits to confirm if employers are actually employing these workers.

As for unpaid fines Sarai, who is also a lawyer, noted that getting a judgment is one thing but collecting on it B次元官网网址渋s the hardest part always.

B次元官网网址淚f the company doesnB次元官网网址檛 pay they usually are able to go after the directors of that company too, so I believe it is just a matter of time,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭he program overall is a fairly effective program and does really well, but there is a small amount of abuse that does happen and we probably need to do more and weB次元官网网址檙e always looking at different ways to plug those holes where abuse or misuse has taken place.B次元官网网址�

Provincial Labour Minister Harry Bains, NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton, said his position has been B次元官网网址� and always will be B次元官网网址� that regardless of oneB次元官网网址檚 immigration status or their arrangement is to work here, B次元官网网址渆very worker must be paid and protected just like any other worker.

B次元官网网址淭hese are the few who take advantage by cheating their workers and cheating their competitors, which is not the right thing to do and I donB次元官网网址檛 think I would ever stand for that,B次元官网网址� Bains said. The NDP government, when it was first formed, brought in the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act requiring that employers to register the employees and that all recruiters must be licensed if they are to recruit for an employer within B.C., he added.

B次元官网网址淪o what happens when a complaint comes to the Employment Standards branch about an employer who may not be complying with the laws, and if the Employment Standards Branch finds them in violation,B次元官网网址� Bains explained, B次元官网网址渢hat information then is shared with the federal counterparts so they can take action on their side.B次元官网网址�

The provincial government then unregisters the employer and it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to hire temporary foreign workers, Bains said, B次元官网网址渂ecause the federal government requires them to be registered with us as well. If they are not registered with us they will not be able to hire a temporary foreign worker going forward, period.B次元官网网址�

Bains said heB次元官网网址檚 aware of LMIAs or sponsorship letters being sold, B次元官网网址渁nd theyB次元官网网址檙e not supposed to be sold. I have asked my federal counterparts numerous times that there should not be that requirement.

If itB次元官网网址檚 known what sectors are facing a shortage, the labour minister said, B次元官网网址渢hen why donB次元官网网址檛 we just issue work permits in that sector to those qualified who are applying to work here as a temporary foreign worker, then thereB次元官网网址檚 no need for that letter which IB次元官网网址檓 told is being sold for a lot of money, which is illegal.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day,B次元官网网址� Bains said of the federal government, B次元官网网址渋t is their file, itB次元官网网址檚 their responsibility and weB次元官网网址檙e doing everything we can at the provincial level, through the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, but if there are areas of loopholes and gaps that some bad actors are using to make a lot of money on the backs of the temporary foreign workers, then we should close those gaps.B次元官网网址�