On August 28, 2014, Hong Tao Huang, a previously deported foreign national, was sentenced to three months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of returning to Canada without Authorization, and one count of working without Authorization under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
On this same date, Jin Xiu Lin, owner of the Moon Thai and Japanese Cuisine Restaurant, in Cornwall, was sentenced to a six month conditional jail sentence with full house arrest for the first three months, after pleading guilty to one count of aiding or abetting Huang to contravene the Act.
The investigation began in July 2014. CBSA officers executed a search warrant at the Moon Thai and Japanese Cuisine Restaurant on July 29, 2014, where they arrested Huang and Lin.
In 2012, Lin was sentenced to a fine of $3,000 after being convicted of employing Huang, a foreign national not authorized to work in Canada, under the IRPA.
Quick Facts
- The IRPA requires all foreign workers to have authorization to engage in employment in Canada.
- Foreign nationals found to be working in Canada without proper authorization are in violation of the IRPA and may be issued a removal order and could be prosecuted.
- The CBSA lays charges when there is sufficient evidence to support convictions for deliberate or willful violations of the IRPA. The penalties for employers who fail to abide by the law range from summary to indictable convictions with a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.
Quote
"Thanks to the hard work of CBSA officers, we continue to identify illegal foreign workers and hold the employers of undocumented workers accountable in order to ensure the integrity of the immigration system, preserve favourable labour market conditions for Canadians, and protect Canadian businesses and workers from illegal operations.”
Jeff Davidson, Director of Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division, Northern Ontario Region
– 30 –
Chris Kealey
Canada Border Services Agency
Northern Ontario Region
613-991-5197
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