World Immigration News

(The Hub)The math of Canada’s immigration enforcement no longer works—and organized crime knows it

Release Date
2026-07-20
Media
The Hub
Summary
The article argues that weaknesses in Canada’s immigration and enforcement systems have allowed transnational organized crime to exploit legal migration pathways. It cites U.S. indictments alleging that members of the India-based Bishnoi gang entered Canada on student or temporary work permits, in some cases using fraudulent information.

The author contends that Canada’s screening process is inadequate because most international students and temporary foreign workers are not routinely required to provide police background checks. While recent immigration reforms have tightened financial and administrative requirements, they have done little to address organized crime risks.

The article also highlights limited enforcement capacity. About 550 Canada Border Services Agency officers are responsible for roughly 33,000 outstanding deportation warrants, while the number of undocumented migrants is estimated to be as high as 500,000. The backlog is shrinking only slowly, leading the author to argue that the low likelihood of removal encourages criminal organizations to recruit through Canada’s immigration system.

The article notes that extortion and organized crime have increased significantly in recent years but emphasizes that the vast majority of immigrants are law-abiding and are often the primary victims of organized crime. It concludes that Canada needs stronger immigration screening and enforcement to prevent further exploitation of the system by criminal networks.
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Canada

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