Immigration Consultants and Social Media

refugee camps: In that sense, they are potentially a more lucrative client base than those in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, according to CBC. The consultants advertise on social media and make visits to the region, setting up shop in five-star hotels. The immigration consultants have been targeting Syrians living in the Gulf states, many of whom are there on work permits and are able to earn a living. Edmonton resident Nhung Tran-Davies welcomes a family of Syrian refugees she helped to sponsor in March. In the case of one such agency, information available online and documents obtained by CBC News reveal that the consultant is not only charging prospective refugees thousands of dollars to process their applications but also asking them to pay the full cost of their resettlement up front, which violates thefinancial guidelines of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. "I find it appalling, honestly," said Toronto lawyer Jackie Swaisland, who is part of a network of lawyers, immigration consultants and law students that has helped hundreds of refugees get to Canada without charging for their services. Canadians across the country have been raising money to privately sponsor Syrian refugees, but a CBC investigation has found that some Syrians coming from Gulf states are being asked to pay the cost of their resettlement up front by immigration consultants who are also charging thousands of dollars to process their applications. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.