Docket: IMM-3343-11
Citation: 2012 FC 266
Ottawa, Ontario, February 27, 2012
PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Russell
BETWEEN:
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KANAPATHAPILLAI KANDASAMY
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Applicant
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and
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THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION
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Respondent
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REASONS FOR JUDGMENT AND
JUDGMENT
INTRODUCTION
[1]
This
is an application under subsection 72(1) of the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act, SC 2001, c. 27 (Act) for judicial review of the decision of
a Counsellor, Immigration Section, Canadian High Commission in Sri Lanka
(Officer) dated 29 March 2011 (Decision), which refused the Applicant’s
application for permanent residence under the Family Class.
BACKGROUND
AND DECISION
[2]
The
Applicant is a sixty-year-old citizen of Sri Lanka. He
currently lives in Sri Lanka with his wife and two daughters. His third
daughter, the Applicant’s sponsor under the family class, lives in Canada as a citizen
(Sponsor).
[3]
In
August 1998, the Sponsor came to Canada from Sri Lanka as a refugee
from the conflict between the LTTE and Sri Lankan Government forces. In her
narrative, found at page 153 of the Certified Tribunal Record (CTR) and filed
with her refugee claim, the Sponsor said that she had been asked to join the
LTTE on several occasions, but had refused. Each time, she was detained for a
few hours and assaulted. The Sponsor also said in her narrative that her family
was displaced in 1995 from Idaikkadu, the town in Northern Sri Lanka where they
lived on a farm, to Madduvil, a town further south and away from the conflict.
She further said that, in July 1996, she and her father were taken by the army,
detained for a few hours, and released after they had been questioned. The Sponsor
was granted refugee status and became a citizen in 2003.
[4]
In
2008, the Applicant, his wife, and the two daughters remaining in Sri Lanka applied for
permanent residence in Canada under the Family Class. To support that
application, the Applicant completed Form IMM 0008 – Schedule 1: Background/Declaration
(2008 Form). On that form, question 9 asked
Have you, or, if you are the principal
applicant, any of your family members listed in your application for permanent
residence in Canada ever […] been detained or put
in jail?
[5]
The
Applicant checked the box marked “No” next to this question on the 2008 Form.
He also indicated on the 2008 Form that, from birth to 1998, he had lived in
Idaikkadu. After completing the form, the Applicant signed it, indicating
that the information he had included was truthful, complete, and correct.
[6]
On
13 October 2010, the Immigration Section at the Colombo High Commission (Immigration
Section) sent the Applicant a letter, asking him to clarify the following
information
3. With regard to your daughter Kavitha’s
claim in Canada, please answer the following
questions:
i.
Was your
family harassed by the LTTE to give money?
ii.
Were you
or any family member ever detained by the LTTE or any other armed force?
iii.
Did you do
work for the LTTE?
iv.
Were any
of your family members harassed to join the LTTE?
v.
Was your
family ever displaced? If yes, please give details.
vi.
What
problems have yourself or your family had with regards to the army?
[7]
The
Applicant responded by letter dated 24 October 2011. He wrote:
3)
a) Yes
b)
Yes
c)
Yes
d)
Yes
e)
Yes, In October 1995, due to operations of SL army. We got displaced, [sic]
from our permanent residence. First We [sic] moved to Madduvil. We all stayed
there for some days. Coming to know that army were [sic] nearer to
Thenmaradchy, our two young daughters were in fear and panic .[sic] we [sic]
sent both daughters to yogapuram [sic] with my mother-in-low [sic] for safety.
After this, we have to return to your village. as [sic] army has taken control
of Jaffna peninsula.
f) After returning to our village from
Madduvil, ( my self [sic], my wife and daughter Kavitha) Army very often comes
to our area. On one such occasion, the army took my self [sic] and my daughter
to their camp. Questioned with threat [sic] to tell details about tigers. My
self [sic] and Daughter [sic] told them we are not aware about their
activities. After this, we were detained for [sic] few hours and allowed to go
home. On several occasion [sic] when my daughter along with other girls while
going to school, the army at check point stopped, threatened, abused [sic] and
were taken to their camp, Detained [sic] and questioned them, Later [sic]
released them after few [sic] hours. Due to this situation I was worried about
my daughter and she too was in fear and panic. I felt, life in our village is
very fearful and risky due to harassment of army [sic].
[8]
The
Immigration Section responded to the Applicant’s letter on 12 November 2010 with
a request for more information (November Letter). The Immigration Section asked
the Applicant to give details of the LTTEs harassment of his family, their
detention by the LTTE or other armed force, and any work they had done for the
LTTE. In a letter dated 23 November 2010, the Applicant said that he was harassed
by the LTTE for money, but he refused them because his financial situation was
bad. He also said that he was detained in an LTTE camp for a few hours after he
refused to give them money. He further said that he was taken to an LTTE site
where he was forced to dig a bunker and chop fire wood. Finally, he said that
the Sponsor was forced to join the LTTE, but she refused.
[9]
On
1 January 2011, the Applicant filed an updated application for permanent
residence. He completed a second IMM 0008 form at this time (2011 Form). On the
2011 Form, he again indicated that he had not been detained or put in jail. He
also wrote that he had lived in Idaikkadu from January 1969 to August 1998. He
did not mention the details of his detention by the LTTE or his displacement to
Madduvil in this form. The Applicant signed the 2011 Form indicating that the
information he gave in the form was truthful, complete, and correct.
[10]
The
Officer wrote to the Applicant on 21 February 2011 to raise concerns about his
permanent residence application. The Officer noted that the High Commission had
received two completed applications from the Applicant. He said the High
Commission had also received correspondence from the Applicant and his family
indicating that they had been displaced to Madduvil in 1995, but that he could
not locate this information in their completed applications. The letter also
indicted that the Applicant had been detained by the LTTE and the army, but
none of the applications included this information. The Officer further noted
that the Applicant had declared in both applications that he had never been
detained or arrested. The Officer gave the Applicant thirty days to respond to
the inconsistencies he had identified and said that, if no response was
received in that time, the Applicant’s case would be concluded with or without
a response.
[11]
The
Applicant responded by letter on 2 March 2011 in which he confirmed that he and
his family had been displaced to Madduvil because of a military operation. He
said he had not mentioned this in the forms he submitted because it was for a
short period, but he regretted this omission. The Applicant also confirmed that
the LTTE had demanded money from him and his family and that, when they did not
pay, took him to their camp and questioned him. He further confirmed that he
and his daughter had been detained by the army, though they had been questioned
and released the same day. He wrote that he was not arrested or kept in custody
except for questioning.
[12]
On
28 March 2011, the Officer wrote in the CAIPS notes on the Applicant’s file
that the Applicant did not deny he had been detained by the army and the LTTE.
The Officer said that, in earlier correspondence, the Applicant indicated that
his periods of working for the LTTE were over. The Officer also noted that the
Applicant had not explained why he did not declare the detentions, though the
Officer found that it was reasonable to assume he did not declare them because
he did not believe they met the definition of “detained.” The Officer noted
that the November Letter had asked for further details and that the Applicant
had not included information on the detentions in the 2011 Form. The Officer
said that it was clear that the Applicant had determined what information he
was required to submit, even though he had been informed by letter that details
were required.
[13]
The
Officer further said that the questions the Applicant was asked about residence
and detention were simple and clear. He noted that there was no reference to
duration or type of residence that would limit the need to declare this information
in the application forms. The Officer said that, since the Applicant and his
family came from a troublesome area, the information on their detention and
residence was critical to determining their admissibility to Canada. The Officer
found that there was a high probability that the Applicant had misrepresented
his background, so he was inadmissible to Canada under
section 40 of the Act. On this basis, the Officer said that the application was
refused.
[14]
On
5 April 2011, the Officer wrote to the Applicant informing him that his
application was refused. The Officer noted that subsection 40(1)(a) of the Act
establishes that a foreign national is inadmissible for misrepresentation if
that foreign national directly or indirectly misrepresents or withholds material
facts that could induce an error in the administration of the Act. The Officer
said that the Applicant and his son (though the Applicant has only daughters)
withheld information regarding the details of their arrests and detention. When
they were asked to provide details, the Applicant said that they were released
the same day as they were detained. Although the Applicant provided these
additional details, the Officer noted that the Applicant omitted the detention
from the 2011 Form. The Officer also said that there was no reference in any of
his correspondence to duration or type of residence or detention which
eliminated the need to declare it. The Officer found that, without clear and
factual information, he could not determine if the Applicant was admissible to Canada.
[15]
The
Officer then reviewed subsection 11(1) of the Act, which provides that an
officer must issue a visa if he is satisfied that the foreign national applying
for the visa is not inadmissible and meets the requirements of the Act. The
Officer found that he was not satisfied that the Applicant was not
inadmissible, and that he was refusing the Applicant’s visa accordingly. This
is the Decision under review.
[16]
Prior
to the hearing before me, the Respondent made a motion under section 87 of the
Act for non-disclosure of part of the CTR. The Applicant opposed the motion,
but Justice Simon Noël granted it on the strength of the Respondent’s
undertaking not to rely on the redacted material.
STATUTORY
PROVISIONS
[17]
The
following provisions of the Act are applicable in this proceeding:
11. (1) A foreign national must, before
entering Canada, apply to an officer for a visa or for any other document
required by the regulations. The visa or document may be issued if, following
an examination, the officer is satisfied that the foreign national is not
inadmissible and meets the requirements of this Act.
12. (1) A foreign national may be selected
as a member of the family class on the basis of their relationship as the
spouse, common-law partner, child, parent or other prescribed family member
of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
…
16. (1) A person who makes an application
must answer truthfully all questions put to them for the purpose of the
examination and must produce a visa and all relevant evidence and documents
that the officer reasonably requires.
…
40. (1) A permanent resident or a foreign
national is inadmissible for misrepresentation
(a) for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or
withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or
could induce an error in the administration of this Act;
(2) The following provisions govern subsection(1):
(a) the permanent resident or
the foreign national continues to be inadmissible for misrepresentation for a
period of two years following, in the case of a determination outside Canada,
a final determination of inadmissibility under subsection (1) or, in the
case of a determination in Canada, the date the removal order is enforced; […]
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11. (1)
L’étranger doit, préalablement à son entrée au Canada, demander à l’agent les
visa et autres documents requis par règlement. L’agent peut les délivrer sur
preuve, à la suite d’un contrôle, que l’étranger n’est pas interdit de
territoire et se conforme à la présente loi.
12. (1) La
sélection des étrangers de la catégorie « regroupement familial » se fait en
fonction de la relation qu’ils ont avec un citoyen canadien ou un résident
permanent, à titre d’époux, de conjoint de fait, d’enfant ou de père ou mère
ou à titre d’autre membre de la famille prévu par règlement.
…
16. (1) L’auteur
d’une demande au titre de la présente loi doit répondre véridiquement aux
questions qui lui
sont posées lors du contrôle, donner les renseignements et tous éléments de
preuve pertinents et présenter les visa et documents requis.
…
40. (1)
Emportent interdiction de territoire pour fausses déclarations les faits
suivants :
a)
directement ou indirectement, faire une présentation erronée sur un fait
important quant à un objet pertinent, ou une réticence
sur ce fait, ce qui
entraîne ou risque d’entraîner une erreur dans l’application de la présente
loi;
(2) Les dispositions
suivantes s’appliquent au paragraphe (1):
a)
l’interdiction de territoire court pour les deux ans suivant la décision la
constatant en dernier ressort, si le résident permanent ou l’étranger n’est
pas au pays, ou suivant l’exécution de la mesure de renvoi;
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ISSUES
[18]
The
sole issue in this proceeding is whether the Officer breached the Applicant’s
right to procedural fairness by failing to call him for an oral interview.
STANDARD OF
REVIEW
[19]
The
Supreme Court of Canada in Dunsmuir v New Brunswick, 2008 SCC 9, held that a standard of
review analysis need not be conducted in every instance. Instead, where the
standard of review applicable to a particular question before the court is
well-settled by past jurisprudence, the reviewing court may adopt that standard
of review. Only where this search proves fruitless must the reviewing court
undertake a consideration of the four factors comprising the standard of review
analysis.
[20]
Whether
the Officer was justified in not calling the Applicant for on interview impacts
the Applicant’s opportunity to respond, which is an issue of procedural fairness. The Federal Court of
Appeal held in Sketchley v Canada
(Attorney General)
2005 FCA 404 at
paragraph 53 that the “procedural fairness element is reviewed as a
question of law. No deference is due. The decision-maker has either complied
with the content of the duty of fairness appropriate for the particular
circumstances, or has breached this duty.” In Newfoundland
and Labrador Nurses’ Union v Newfoundland and
Labrador (Treasury Board) 2011
SCC 62,
the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed at paragraph 19 that the standard of
review with respect to questions of procedural fairness is
correctness. The standard of
review in this case is correctness.
ARGUMENTS
The
Applicant
[21]
The
Applicant says that the CAIPS notes on his file do not reveal any negative
remarks arising from background checks which were conducted on him and his
family. This shows that there are no criminal or security considerations
related to their application. The Applicant also says that, though the CAIPS
notes indicate that the Sponsor’s PIF was on file, there is no indication whether
this PIF was reviewed or considered; there is also no indication if the PIF
corroborated the evidence the Applicant gave to the Officer.
[22]
The
CAIPS notes entry from 31 January 2011 indicates that the Officer had concerns
about the Applicant’s residence and detention in Sri Lanka, which he
had not declared on either the 2008 Form or the 2011 Form. Although he was
advised of these concerns twice by letter and given thirty days to respond to
each of these letters, the Applicant notes that the Officer never called him for
an in-person interview. Although the onus was on the Applicant to complete the
forms truthfully and completely, which he did not, he says these forms are not
intended to be an entire account of applicants’ lives and circumstances in
their countries of origin.
[23]
The
Officer found that there was a high probability that the Applicant had
misrepresented his background. Although he twice failed to disclose his
detention and displacement, the Applicant challenges this finding. He says that
he provided complete disclosure to the Immigration Section in the course of all
his correspondence; he eventually disclosed the family’s displacement, and the
detentions by the army and the LTTE.
[24]
The
Applicant asserts that an in-person interview is the best way for officers to
assess applicants’ credibility. He also says that the record does not disclose
any criminal or security issues with respect to this application and that
security background checks would have guided the Officer’s Decision. Given the
Officer’s concerns, he breached the Applicant’s right to procedural fairness when
he did not convoke an interview.
[25]
In
order to find that an applicant for permanent residence is inadmissible to Canada, there must
be a clear evidentiary basis. The Applicant relies on Kanapathipillai v
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1998] FCJ No
1110, Ali v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) 2003 FC
982, and Armson v Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration),
[1989] FCJ No 800 (FCA) . Since there is no right of appeal to the
Immigration Appeal Board from the Decision, the Officer was obligated to
provide a clear basis in the evidence for the finding that he was inadmissible.
[26]
Rather
than simply completing the application on paper, the Officer was required to call
the Applicant for an interview and provide him with more information and
documentation. In this interview, the Applicant could have addressed the
Sponsor’s past refugee claim and the Applicant’s failure to disclose his
detentions and displacement. Because he did not call the Applicant for an
interview, the Officer did not give him a full opportunity to address the
concerns identified in his application.
[27]
In
Wong v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1998]
FCJ No 24, Justice Barbara Reed held at paragraph 26 that
Most significant is the non-disclosure to the applicant of
information concerning the basis on which the opinion was rendered. The
applicant and his counsel wished to respond to the conclusion that admission of
the daughter to Canada would, as a result of her medical condition, cause
excessive demands on social services. In order to do this in an intelligent way
they needed to know what factors were considered relevant. In my view, the
non-disclosure of the requested information constituted a breach of natural
justice, is a breach of the rules of fairness.
[28]
The
Applicant also points to Gedeon v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2004 FC 1245, and says that the Officer was
under a duty to inform him of concerns arising from his application and call
him for an interview to address those concerns. The Applicant notes that a manual
from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), OP1 – Procedures, says at
page 31 that “Officers should accurately describe to applicants the documentation
they are required to submit in order to address their concern.” He also points
to CIC’s manual, OP2 – Processing Members of the Family Class, which
says at page 40 that “Officers should interview applicants and their family
members only when it is essential to assess an application. Waive interviews
wherever possible.”
[29]
According
to the Applicant, these two manuals show that officers who assess applications
are required to send out letters to inform applicants of potential issues and
to call applicants for interviews to clarify admissibility issues. The Officer
did not call the Applicant for an interview to clarify the issues arising from
his application, so his right to procedural fairness was breached. The
Applicant says that he was diligent in answering the letters the Officer sent
informing him of the Officer’s concerns about his detention and displacement in
Sri
Lanka.
[30]
The
Applicant says that family reunification applications are not simple
paper-screening exercises. In assessing this kind of application, it is
necessary to assess the nuances of families concerned. Further, family
reunification applications touch on deeply personal issues, so there is a duty
on Officers to provide full disclosure in these cases. Although in some cases
it may be satisfactory to screen applications on paper, in this case it would
not have been unreasonable for the Officer to call the Applicant for an
interview to address the potential misrepresentation. Because he did not do so,
the Officer breached the Applicant’s right to procedural fairness.
The
Respondent
[31]
The
Respondent argues that there is no reviewable error in this case. The Officer
refused the Applicant’s application for two reasons: he was not satisfied the
Applicant was not inadmissible, so he could not grant a visa under section 11
of the Act, and he found that the Applicant was inadmissible for
misrepresentation under paragraph 40(1)(a) of the Act. In Sivayogaraja
v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2010 FC 1112, Justice Yvon Pinard upheld the
decision of a visa officer where:
[5] The Visa Officer found that he was
unable to determine the living history of the applicants due to the
inconsistency of the information provided at the interview on November 5, 2009.
He found that he did not have a complete picture of the background of the
applicant and her son, and was not satisfied that they were not inadmissible to
Canada, as
the information presented lacked credibility due to internal discrepancies in
the testimonies.
[6] The misrepresentations found by the
Visa Officer relate to the details of the places in which the applicants had
resided, and the details of where the son had been schooled, and on which
dates. The Visa Officer found that the misrepresentation or withholding of
these facts could have induced incorrect decisions on the admissibility of the
applicants.
[32]
The
present case is similar to Sivayogaraja, so it should be decided in the
same way. The Officer was concerned about the conflicting information the
Applicant had provided about his locations, activities, and detentions. The
Officer notified the Applicant about these concerns and the Applicant’s
responses were insufficient to dispel his doubts. As Gnanaguru v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2011 FC 536 establishes, information about
activities, addresses, and detentions is material to an application for
permanent residence; misrepresentation of these facts prevents an officer from
making a proper finding of admissibility.
[33]
Section
16 of the Act obliges all applicants to truthfully answer all questions put to
them. Section 11 of the Act establishes that the Officer could not issue the
Applicant a visa unless he was satisfied that the Applicant was not
inadmissible. The Officer was not so satisfied, so he could not issue the
applicant a visa; there is no reviewable error in this case.
The
Respondent’s Further Memorandum
[34]
The
Respondent notes that the Applicant indicated on the 2008 Form that neither he
nor any of his family members had been detained or jailed. The Respondent also
notes that question 11 on the 2008 Form says that applicants should “Provide
details of your personal history since the age of 18. […] If you were not
working, provide information on what you were doing (for example: unemployment,
studying, travelling, in detention, etc.). In the 2008 Form, the Applicant
declared that he had been continuously working as a farmer in Yogapuram, Sri Lanka since 1967 and
declared that the information in his form was truthful, complete, and correct. The
Applicant reiterated these statements in the 2011 Form, even though he had
received correspondence which notified him of the Officer’s concerns that he
had misrepresented himself.
[35]
The
Respondent notes that foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada have a duty
of candour which requires that they disclose all facts material to their
applications. He says that this Court has recognized the importance of
applicants’ full disclosure to the administration of the Act (see Bodine v
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) 2008 FC 848 and Baro v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2007 FC 1299). The purpose of paragraph
40(1)(a) of the Act is to ensure that applicants provide complete,
honest, and truthful information at all steps of their applications to enter Canada. Further, it
is not for applicants to decide what information is material or relevant and
what is not.
The
Decision is Reasonable
[36]
Throughout
his application, the burden rested on the Applicant to provide sufficient
evidence to demonstrate to the Officer’s satisfaction that he was not
inadmissible to Canada and that he met the requirements of the Act. It is clear that the
Applicant did not present complete and accurate information in his application,
so the Officer could not have been satisfied that he was not inadmissible.
[37]
In Sinnathamby
v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration) 2011
FC 1421, Justice Leonard Mandamin upheld the decision of a visa officer to
refuse a permanent resident visa. In that case, the information the applicants
provided on their application and in subsequent correspondence kept changing,
with new details being added. The visa officer in that case was uncertain about
whether he had a complete and accurate account of the applicants’
circumstances. The instant case is similar and, as with Sivayogaraja,
above, should be decided similarly. The Officer was presented with conflicting
information over a series of exchanges and the Applicant did not provide a
complete personal history. The Decision is reasonable on that basis, so it
should not be disturbed on judicial review.
ANALYSIS
[38]
The
Applicant says that he was not provided with a full and fair opportunity to respond
to the Officer’s admissibility concerns and the evidence upon which the Officer
based his assessment. He says that if the Officer had continuing concerns he
should have provided him with an opportunity to address those concerns in an
interview; the Officer’s failure to do this breached his right to procedural
fairness. For the following reasons, I disagree with these arguments.
[39]
The
Act clearly establishes that officers may only issue visas if they are
satisfied that foreign nationals are not inadmissible:
11. (1) A foreign national must, before
entering Canada, apply to an officer for a visa or for any other document
required by the regulations. The visa or document may be issued if, following
an examination, the officer is satisfied that the foreign national is not
inadmissible and meets the requirements of this Act.
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11. (1) L’étranger
doit, préalablement à son entrée au Canada, demander à l’agent les visa et
autres documents requis par règlement. L’agent peut les délivrer sur preuve
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[40]
One
of the most important requirements of the Act in the context of a permanent
resident visa application is the obligation to provide true, correct and
complete information. See Uppal v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2009 FC 445 at paragraph 25 and Nazim v
Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2009 FC 471 at paragraph 20.
[41]
Subsection
16(1) of the Act explicitly imposes an obligation on Applicants to be truthful:
16. (1) A person who makes an application
must answer truthfully all questions put to them for the purpose of the
examination and must produce a visa and all relevant evidence and documents
that the officer reasonably requires.
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16. (1) L’auteur
d’une demande au titre de la présente loi doit répondre véridiquement aux
questions qui lui sont posées lors du contrôle, donner les renseignements et
tous éléments de preuve pertinents et présenter les visa et documents requis.
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[42]
Under
paragraph 40(1)(a) of the Act, a person is inadmissible to Canada if he or she
“withholds material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could
induce an error in the administration” of the Act:
40. (1) A
permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible for
misrepresentation
(a) for
directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating
to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the
administration of this Act;
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40. (1) Emportent
interdiction de territoire pour fausses déclarations les faits suivants :
a) directement
ou indirectement, faire une présentation erronée sur un fait important quant
à un objet pertinent, ou une réticence sur ce fait, ce qui entraîne ou risque
d’entraîner une erreur dans l’application de la présente loi;
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[43]
The
Citizenship and Immigration Canada Enforcement Manual sets out the
policy intent behind section 40 of the Act:
9.1. Policy Intent
The purpose of the misrepresentation
provisions is to ensure that applicants provide complete, honest and truthful
information in every manner when applying for entry into Canada.
The provisions are broad enough to cover
a range of scenarios to encourage compliance with the legislation and support
the integrity of the program. Yet, it is also imperative that the application
of the provisions be guided by the use of good judgment to support the
objectives of the Act and ensure a fair and just decision-making. [emphasis
added ]
[44]
As
the Respondent points out, a foreign national seeking to enter Canada has a duty
of candour which requires disclosure of material facts. This Court has
recognized the importance of applicants’ full disclosure for the proper and
fair administration of the immigration scheme. Paragraph 40 (1)(a) of
the Act attempts to ensure that applicants provide complete, honest and
truthful information in every manner when applying for entry into Canada. See Bodine,
above, at paragraph 41, 42 and 44, Baro, above, at paragraph 15 and Haque
v Canada (Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration) 2011 FC 315.
[45]
It
was not for the Applicant to decide what to answer, what was material, or what was
relevant. He was not entitled to foreclose any possible investigations that
might be done. As Justice Richard Mosley noted in Haque at paragraph 14:
Section 3 of the IRPA points to a number of immigration objectives
that should be kept in mind when administering the Act.
Among others, these objectives include enriching and developing the
country through social, economic and cultural means while ensuring the
protection and security of Canadians living here. In order to adequately
protect Canada's borders, determining
admissibility necessarily rests in large part on the ability of immigration
officers to verify the information applicants submit in their applications. The
omission or misrepresentation of information risks inducing an error in the Act's administration. [emphasis added]
[46]
My
review of the record suggests that, although the Officer did not convoke a
further interview, he placed the problems concerning conflicting information
about detentions and residences squarely before the Applicant in writing. He
also gave the Applicant every opportunity to respond and took the responses
into account. The record shows that the Officer was correct when he said that
he explained the points of concern to the Applicant in writing and the
questions were “simple and clear.” Nothing in the record suggests that the
Applicant did not understand the points of concern or explains why he omitted
the required details from his second application.
[47]
As
the CAIPS notes make clear, the information the Applicant provided did not
correspond with information regarding detentions and residences the Sponsor
declared in her PIF or with the Applicant’s own earlier declarations. In
addition, he failed to declare “all residences and failed to declare detainment
and jailings” even after he was instructed on what was required. Because of the
contradictions between his application forms and his correspondence, the
Officer could not determine the Applicant’s true background and concluded that
“there is a high probability that the [Applicant] has misrepresented his
background…”
[48]
On
the basis of the information before him, the Officer refused the application
because the Applicant failed to adequately address the concerns he raised. It
seems obvious that where officers do not have clear and consistent information,
they will not be able to administer the Act. The Officer could have used an
interview, but did not; this does not mean that a breach of procedural fairness
occurred in this case. In the present application, the Court has no evidence from
the Applicant to explain why an interview was essential to assessing his
application or why he could not give adequate responses to the Officer’s
concerns in writing.
[49]
In
a situation like the present where the Officer set out his concerns in writing
and gave the Applicant an opportunity to submit further information (and the
required declaration), I cannot say that a breach of procedural fairness
occurred. In spite of all the opportunities he had to address the deficiencies the
Officer raised, the Applicant still did not include detentions and residence
information as required. The Applicant has not explained to me why he completed
the second application in the way he did.
[50]
In
my view, the Applicant’s letter to the Officer at page 111 of the CTR supports the
Officer’s conclusions that the Applicant applied his own definitions of
detention to information he submitted and that there was a high probability of
misrepresentation. This meant that the Officer could not determine
admissibility, so his conclusion that section 11(1) of the Act was not met was
reasonable.
[51]
Given
the facts before the Officer and the process he used, I cannot say that his Decision
is unreasonable in its conclusions or that the Officer denied the Applicant
procedural fairness. Absent a breach of procedural fairness or an unreasonable
decision, the application for judicial review must be dismissed.
[52]
Counsel
agreed there is no question for certification and the Court concurs.
JUDGMENT
THIS COURT’S JUDGMENT
is that
1.
The
application is dismissed.
2.
There
is no question for certification.
“James Russell”