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 programs91裸聊视频� 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 Surrey91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频� a numbered company 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频減redatory practices involving temporary foreign workers and students, etcetera, they91裸聊视频檝e been talked about for a long time and it91裸聊视频檚 taken us longer than it should have to really start to grapple with this.91裸聊视频�

He said there91裸聊视频檚 now 91裸聊视频渞eal discussions going on in Ottawa91裸聊视频� about the selling Labour Market Impact Assessments for 91裸聊视频渙utrageous amounts of money when they91裸聊视频檙e not to be sold. So there91裸聊视频檚 been a lot of gaming the system and my guess is the numbers that you saw in that report are low compared with what91裸聊视频檚 actually going on.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淭his is all just the mutterings on the street you hear continuously about people abusing the system,91裸聊视频� Hardie told the Now-Leader. 91裸聊视频淛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 we91裸聊视频檙e talking about, and it91裸聊视频檚 mainly housing and the tax system and things like that.91裸聊视频�

Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman called the situation 91裸聊视频渃oncerning.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 was not aware of that,91裸聊视频� she told the Now-Leader on Friday, when told about the 48. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝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 you91裸聊视频檙e speaking of.91裸聊视频�

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. 91裸聊视频淚f it turns out to be true, they will give the opportunity to the employee to find another employer.91裸聊视频�

The federal government, he added, has also changed the immigration consultants industry from being self-regulating to government-regulated. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 repercussions and penalties91裸聊视频� Sarai said, 91裸聊视频渂ut all of these do require the employee to report, and to report the irregularities or criminal activity or abuse.91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渋s the hardest part always.

91裸聊视频淚f the company doesn91裸聊视频檛 pay they usually are able to go after the directors of that company too, so I believe it is just a matter of time,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淭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 we91裸聊视频檙e always looking at different ways to plug those holes where abuse or misuse has taken place.91裸聊视频�

Provincial Labour Minister Harry Bains, NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton, said his position has been 91裸聊视频� and always will be 91裸聊视频� that regardless of one91裸聊视频檚 immigration status or their arrangement is to work here, 91裸聊视频渆very worker must be paid and protected just like any other worker.

91裸聊视频淭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 don91裸聊视频檛 think I would ever stand for that,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淪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,91裸聊视频� Bains explained, 91裸聊视频渢hat information then is shared with the federal counterparts so they can take action on their side.91裸聊视频�

The provincial government then unregisters the employer and it wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be able to hire temporary foreign workers, Bains said, 91裸聊视频渂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.91裸聊视频�

Bains said he91裸聊视频檚 aware of LMIAs or sponsorship letters being sold, 91裸聊视频渁nd they91裸聊视频檙e not supposed to be sold. I have asked my federal counterparts numerous times that there should not be that requirement.

If it91裸聊视频檚 known what sectors are facing a shortage, the labour minister said, 91裸聊视频渢hen why don91裸聊视频檛 we just issue work permits in that sector to those qualified who are applying to work here as a temporary foreign worker, then there91裸聊视频檚 no need for that letter which I91裸聊视频檓 told is being sold for a lot of money, which is illegal.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淎t the end of the day,91裸聊视频� Bains said of the federal government, 91裸聊视频渋t is their file, it91裸聊视频檚 their responsibility and we91裸聊视频檙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.91裸聊视频�