National

Two people in B.C. accused in fake refugee claims

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Oct, 2020 08:28 PM

Two people in Metro Vancouver are accused of colluding with foreign nationals to make fraudulent claims for refugee protection in Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency says Roger Bhatti of Delta and Sofiane Dahak of Vancouver face more than two dozen charges, including forgery, counselling misrepresentation of facts and use of forged documents.

The agency alleges the offences involved people originating from Central Europe and took place between 2002 and 2014.

It says in a news release that Bhatti, who is 61, practised as a lawyer and Dahak, who is 52, was an interpreter when the alleged offences occurred.

The agency began reviewing evidence connected to a number of refugee claims in 2012 and it says most of the claimants were found not to be refugees and were removed from Canada.

The accused are scheduled to appear in Surrey provincial court on Oct. 6.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver police arrest 14 people after elementary school break-in

VANCOUVER - Fourteen people who entered an East Vancouver elementary school Saturday evening in a protest action aimed at securing emergency housing for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic were arrested.

Vancouver police arrest 14 people after elementary school break-in

BC Ferries ship sustained some damage after hitting berth, no one injured

VANCOUVER - A BC Ferries ship hit the dock at Tsawwassen ferry terminal, resulting in two cancelled departures and a four-hour disembarkment delay for some passengers.

BC Ferries ship sustained some damage after hitting berth, no one injured

Sleep struggles: pandemic could impact body's fear response, cause poor sleep

Tossing and turning in the middle of the night. Lying awake for lengthy stretches. Waking up groggy. The COVID-19 pandemic seems to be messing with a number of peoples' ability to get a good night's sleep these days. And sleep experts aren't surprised by that.

Sleep struggles: pandemic could impact body's fear response, cause poor sleep

Here are some of the deadliest mass killings in recent Canadian history:

April 19, 2020: Seventeen people are killed after a man who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser travelled across northern Nova Scotia. An RCMP officer is among the dead. Police say the suspected shooter, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was killed after being intercepted by officers in Enfield, N.S.

Here are some of the deadliest mass killings in recent Canadian history:

Those who knew Nova Scotia gunman shocked by rampage

Neighbours and schoolmates of the man responsible for a killing rampage that left at least 19 people dead in northern Nova Scotia were attempting Monday to come to terms with the tragedy. A 23 year member of the RCMP police force Const Heidi Stevenson was killed, a mother of two, and another officer is recovering from non life threating injuries.

Those who knew Nova Scotia gunman shocked by rampage

COVID-19 prompts bus driver layoffs, service cuts for Metro Vancouver transit

There have been significant layoffs of bus drivers and deep service cuts on buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain and West Coast Express across Metro Vancouver. Nearly 1,500 bus drivers and other transit workers across Metro Vancouver are being laid off as TransLink faces plunging ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic.