Australian Government - Migration Fraud Summary

Chandigarh, India, June 26, 2012 — Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia are united in their efforts to warn prospective visitors and immigrants of the dangers of being misled by unscrupulous immigration agents, government representatives announced at a news conference today.

Representatives from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the UK Border Agency and the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship also sent a clear message to crooked agents that they are working with other countries and with Indian authorities to combat immigration fraud.

Unscrupulous agents have travelled to villages in the Punjab and other parts of India promising fast-track approvals for visas abroad. To avoid being duped – and refused entry into Canada, the UK and Australia – applicants should bear in mind the following:
•Do not be misled by unscrupulous agents into believing that it is acceptable to submit forged documents with your visa application. The application will be refused and you face further investigation by the Indian authorities.
•Do not believe agents who say that they can, in exchange for money, influence how fast applications are processed or the final decision. They cannot. Visa decisions are made only by visa officers authorized by the respective country.
•Do not be fooled by imposters pretending to be visa officers from Embassies. Legitimate visa officers do not meet applicants outside their offices nor do they contact you to ask for money.
•Do not be fooled by fake websites designed to look like official government or service delivery partner websites. Always get your visa information from official websites.
•Do not be duped by a job or visa scam. Many people are being cheated with job offers overseas that do not exist. Stop and think before you hand over your money, passport and personal details. If the job offer sounds too good to be true, it could be a scam.
“Crooked immigration agents often advise applicants to provide fake documentation or enter into marriages of convenience,” said Sidney Frank, Canada’s Area Director for Immigration in South Asia. “Don’t be fooled. Your investment will be lost, you will be caught, and you will be denied entry to Canada.”

“We welcome genuine visitors, students and workers to the UK. However, we will not tolerate abuse of our immigration system and have a zero tolerance to fraud,” said Thomas Greig, Regional Director, South Asia, UK Border Agency. “I strongly advise anyone who wants a visa for the UK not to listen to agents who offer to sell forged documents and say that they can guarantee a visa. We have very effective processes for detecting fraud and work with our international partners and Indian authorities to do so. When we uncover fraud, including false education and language certificates, the visa will be refused and the applicant will face a ten year ban on travelling to the UK, as well as possible action by the Indian authorities.”

“Fraud is a criminal offence in Australia and can lead to severe penalties for those involved. But ultimately the responsibility for a visa application lies with the applicant,” said Jose Alvarez, Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Regional Director of South Asia. “Providing fraudulent documents or misleading information can result in severe consequences not just for the agent but also the applicant. Applicants need to protect themselves from immigration fraud by being aware of the ways people may try to take advantage of them and their situation.”

Applying for a visa is a relatively simple and straight-forward procedure and information and the visa application forms themselves are all available on official government websites, free of charge. If applicants decide to use agents, they should choose them very carefully.
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Believe same precautions apply in the Philippines. Who knows? Me could be one. Hehehe.
 

wala bang about Switzerland?

wala bang about Switzerland?

Never heard of it. Probably because of it's land size 41,290 sq. km and population 7,301,994, not easy for an illegal to hide.

People may give you false or misleading information in order to take advantage of your desire to visit or migrate to Australia. Becoming a victim of fraudulent activity could mean you lose your life savings or your identity or have your visa cancelled.

Warning signs to look out for:

•you are asked to pay upfront in cash only, and no receipt is provided
•the fee seems extremely high – a list of fees charged by most of registered migration agents is available on the Office of the MARA website.
See: What does it cost to use an Agent
•the 'agent' does not give you a contract or statement of services and fees
•no office address is given and you are asked to meet at a café, pub or other public area
•only a post office box or mobile phone number is provided
•no Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN) is advertised – check if an agent is registered.
See: The Register of Migration Agents – Search
A printable version of this information is available.
See: Protect Yourself from Migration Fraud ( 78KB PDF file)

Read the stories of people who became victims of fraud so the same thing does not happen to you.
See: Victim Stories

Anyone can become the victim of fraud—watch the department's video 'Don't Get Caught Out' to see how easily it can happen. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
See: Don't Get Caught Out
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To read more, click http://www.immi.gov.au/migration-fraud/migration-fraud-be-informed.htm

at sarap pala mag bisita sa Switzerland, kakainin ko sya

November 27, 2012 | Filed under: Australia | Posted by: alison

Australian immigration department has announced successfully closing down a sham marriage scheme that was being used to obtain legal status in Australia by the Indian nationals. Department of Immigration and Citizenship Australia (DIA) along with other law enforcing agencies raided the premises allegedly being used to stage the sham marriages between Indian men and Australian women.  The women were being paid money for their role in the marriage. DIAC is currently investigating about 50 visa applications that might have been connected to the sham marriage scheme. DIAC official has said that immigration department will not tolerated in fraud that threatens the integrity of the Australian immigration system.

Sham marriages are considered easier way to gain immigration status in Australia and have been a tool of fraudulent immigration advisers.  Department of Immigration and Citizenship and Australian Federal Police raided a number of properties linked to a marriage fraud scheme and several bank accounts allegedly linked to the wedding scam along with nine properties were frozen.
“DIAC treats allegations of immigration fraud seriously,” said a DIAC spokesman, “and activities that undermine the integrity of the visa regime will not be tolerated by Australian authorities.”
“The operation was part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that a Queensland man and his wife,” added spokesman, “among others, allegedly operated a sophisticated scheme to arrange fraudulent weddings between Indian men and Australian women.”
DIAC spokesman further said, “The Australian women were allegedly paid money by the organisers of the scheme and the Indian men lodged visa applications to stay in Australia using the fraudulent marriages as the basis of their claims.”
There are approximately 50 visa applications for Australian residency that might be linked to the marriage scam and department will be scrutinizing the applications minutely.
If the applicants have been found to be using the fraudulent marriage ceremonies and related documents to remain in Australia, the visa applications will be refused and allegedly involved Indian nationals deported.

ABC News by Indonesia correspondent George Roberts and staff Updated 4 hours 13 minutes ago

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the Federal Government is hoping to secure more cooperation on stopping asylum seeker boats at a forum in Bali.

Senator Carr and Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor are in Indonesia for the Bali Process forum.
It has been running for more than 10 years and aims to stop people smuggling and human trafficking.
Senator Carr says he hopes the forum can achieve greater regional cooperation on people smuggling and human movement.
"There are tens of millions of people in the world who are adrift, homeless, looking for somewhere to go," he said.
"You need regional cooperation if you are to see that they are to be treated humanely and that borders are respected and that you have an orderly handling of the movement of peoples."
Senator Carr says he will be seeking the development of policy guidelines to help countries criminalise human trafficking.
"That's necessary if you are to overcome the wretchedness of slavery, the enslavement of people and their transference across and through borders," he said.
On stopping asylum seeker boats arrivals in Australia, Senator Carr said more progress was needed.
"You need a range of actions to stop the boats," he said.
"You need action in countries that are generating the flow of people, like Afghanistan and Iran.
"You need law enforcement action directed at the people smugglers and prosecution.
"We've seen progress, but we want more."
The Federal Government's regional processing policy will be on the agenda at the forum, and Senator Carr has renewed calls for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to allow the Malaysia solution to proceed.
The forum comes after more than 100 asylum seekers arrived in Australia over the long weekend. And last week, two asylum seekers were killed when their boat capsized off Christmas Island.
Despite accusations of a rocky Indonesia-Australia relationship, Senator Carr says the ties between the two countries "have never been better".

Officially there are about 3,000 asylum seekers in Indonesia, at any one time.
Indonesia is reportedly preparing to ask Australia to accept more refugees who are waiting in Indonesia.

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Wonder how this will impact  the multitude of Filipino aspirants for migration to Australia.

Bangkok Post Published: 2 Apr 2013 at 10.29 Online news:

Growing cross-border movements of people throughout the region is fuelling human trafficking and people smuggling, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Tuesday.

"People smugglers and human traffickers continue to thrive," Carr told the Bali Process ministerial conference on people smuggling, trafficking in persons and other transnational crime in Bali, Indonesia.

Carr said the Asia-Pacific region played host to 9.5 million people of concern to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, including refugees, internally displaced people and people without states.

About 700,000 people are trafficked annually in Asia and the International Labour Organisation estimates more than 20 million people globally are victims of forced labour, Carr said.

"According to the UNCHR, 2012 saw unprecedented migratory movements on all maritime routes in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.
"Sadly where there are vulnerable people, there are predators," he said. "People smugglers and human traffickers prey on their victims for their own financial gains."
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the Bali Process had proved successful in strengthening regional cooperation 11 years after it was initiated, but called for stronger law enforcement against people smuggling and human trafficking.
"We must be relentless in our common endeavour," he said. "A massive deterrence message must be projected with effective prosecution of human trafficker and people smugglers to bring them to justice."

Indonesia has for years been a transit point for people fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East, South and Central Asia who seek to settle in Australia.
Hundreds of migrants have died in sea accidents in the past decade while en route to Australia by boat.

National Times June 29, 2012

Australia's relative economic prosperity and low jobless rate have transformed us into a destination of choice for economic migrants and refugees alike. If you think that's a problem, let me set you straight.

One in four Australians alive today was born overseas, according to the latest census results. In Sydney, it's one in three. Migration has not only contributed to Australia's economic success over the years but is the cornerstone of the brilliantly vibrant and diverse cultures in our local communities that are rarely reflected in our national debates.

While other advanced nations struggle to attract workers to their recession-ridden economies, Australia stands out as a country experiencing above-average migration growth, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's ''International Migration Outlook'', released this week.

Problem? Far from it.

''[The] positive role of migration in maintaining the size of the labour force in many countries is expected to become more important as more baby boomers retire,'' the report states. ''By 2015, immigration - at the current level - will not be sufficient to maintain the working-age population in many OECD countries, especially in the European Union.''

One of the defining global narratives of the coming decades will be the struggle of ageing nations to rejuvenate their populations and provide for the needs of their elderly. But here in Australia we force young, willing hands in nearby countries to board leaky boats to take their chances in a cruel sea. That is not only morally shameful, it's economically stupid.

Figures from the same OECD report prove decisively that job gains for migrants do not come at the expense of existing Australians.

Across the first half of the noughties, the employment-to-population ratio for foreign-born Australian men averaged 73.2 per cent. The average for native-born Australian men was substantially higher, at 78.8 per cent.

In the second half, this gap shrank. The average employment-to-population ratio for foreign-born men advanced to 76.3 per cent. But this did not come at the expense of the native-born, who saw their ratio also increase, to 80 per cent.

Because, for all the focus on asylum seekers, Australia's overall migration program is heavily focused on filling existing skills shortages and, hence, is skewed towards younger working people. Australia's total migration and humanitarian intake was 182,500 people last financial year. Of these, most - 92 per cent - came from the migration program.

Just 8 per cent, or 13,799 visas, were granted under the humanitarian program. Of these, most - 8971 - were granted to people seeking asylum from an offshore location. The number granted to people who had made their way to Australia first, by boat or plane, was 4828.

Australia's refugee intake is not only small compared to its total migration intake, but also compared to the number of people who would like to seek asylum here. Australia received 54,396 offshore applications for humanitarian visas last year, meaning for every successful one, five others went unanswered.

Is it any surprise people get on boats? With such an undersupply of places relative to demand, a black market in people smuggling is the only natural result.

It seems distasteful, somehow, to apply an economic framework to a such a morally charged policy issue as asylum seekers. It is governments, after all, not markets, that decide the supply of migration places.

But people smugglers are a good example of the economic phenomenon of black markets. Black markets for products and services spring up where supply in legitimate markets is overly restricted. Just as alcohol prohibition in the US forced up the price of booze and fuelled criminal activity in the 1920s and '30s, a shortage of humanitarian visas to Australia has encouraged people smuggling. People smugglers are today's bootleggers, with tragic consequences.

The evidence shows, after all, that most people who arrive unlawfully by boat are eventually settled in Australia on protection visas - 83.3 per cent of the ''irregular maritime arrivals'' in 2009-10, according to the latest figures from the Department of Immigration.

By far the best way to smash the people smugglers' business model would be to expand the legal market for seeking asylum. It's time to accept there is a constant, and even increasing, demand by people to seek asylum in Australia.

If we want to stop the boats, the best way might be to fire up the 747 turbo engines and simply fly people here, legally and safely, in the first place. If we want to deter desperate people from making a treacherous journey, let's make it known in international refugee processing centres around the world: there is an easier path to Australia and an open door on arrival for those who follow it.

Sound radical? Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of this week's debate on asylum seekers is that there is, in fact, tri-partisan agreement on just this point.

The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, promised this week to increase the humanitarian intake to 20,000 within three years of forming a government. The Greens issued a press release yesterday titled ''We Can Save Lives From Today'' proposing much the same thing.

Just last month, the Minister for Immigration, Chris Bowen, told the International Association of Refugee Law Judges of his desire to progressively increase the humanitarian program to 20,000. As for why he had not already done this, Bowen cited budget constraints. Every additional 1000 humanitarian places would cost the budget $216 million. Increasing it to 20,000 would cost about $1.35 billion over the first four years.

And so it comes to this: what price asylum seekers' lives?

It's time for politicians to bite the bullet and agree to increase Australia's humanitarian intake. As a rich nation with low public debt and so much to gain from migration we cannot afford not to do so. That politicians can agree on this central point and continue to squabble among themselves is not only deeply shameful, but the ultimate sign of the deep dysfunction that prevails in our nation's Parliament.

Follow the National Times on Twitter: @NationalTimesAU

Gemma Jones, Ashlee Mullany, Stiven Pucar From: News Limited Network April 10, 2013 10:37AM

A GROUP of 66 people on board a boat that sailed into Geraldton, 400 kilometres north of Perth, today are now destined for Christmas Island, according to statement from the immigration department.
 It is believed to be the first boat to reach the mainland so close to Perth.

Barely 430km north of Perth, the coastal centre is more than 2000km south of Christmas Island where asylum seekers coming to Australia are usually intercepted.

Despite Geraldton Port being one of Australia's busiest regional ports, the boat with 66 people aboard made it to within metres of the mainland - and was intercepted first by two local men in a dinghy.

Those on board told the men they had been at sea for at least six weeks, having travelled more than 5000km to reach Geraldton, a port more used to dealing with iron ore, grains, talc, garnet and fertilisers.
The Sri Lankan passengers pulled into the harbour on their overcrowded vessel around midday (WST), stunning witnesses.

The boat-load of Sri Lankan asylum seekers arrived in Geraldton around midday.
An immigration Department statement said the asylum seekers would be transferred to Christmas Island.

However it is now understood the single male asylum seekers will go to Northam's Yongah Hill detention centre, about 90km east of Perth, with families being sent to ''A-pods'' - Alternate Places of Detention - in Perth.
 
Authorities are unsure how the vessel reached so far south and believe the crew may have set the wrong course.
Immigration officials will make arrangements ''as soon as possible'' for their transfer to the island's detention facilities.

The boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers pulled into Geraldton harbour this afternoon.
Under existing legislation, asylum seekers who reach the mainland will avoid being sent to processing centres on Nauru or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

Federal Labor is seeking to change this, with legislation currently before the Senate.
Asylum seekers on the vessel have held up a sign saying, "We want to go to New Zealand. Please help us.''

The boat is believed to have been at sea for 44 days.

It is believed the Sri Lankans want to be sent to New Zealand because the government has voluntarily and involuntarily returned about 1000 Sri Lankans since August last year.

The vessel was met by a pilot boat in Geraldton harbour with WA Police now on the scene.
"Customs and Border Protection have advised a suspected irregular entry vessel arrived within the harbour limits of Geraldton this afternoon,'' a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said.
"Initial indications suggest there are 66 people on board.

"Customs and Border Protection officers and Western Australian Police are responding to the arrival.''
Geraldton Port Authority chief executive officer Peter Klein said a response team had set up a processing post for the asylum seekers.

"Police and Customs have been notified and are on the scene,'' he said.
WA Police Inspector Dominic Wood said the boat had arrived in Geraldton under its own steam.
Inspector Wood said a Customs vessel had towed the boat into harbour where it is now moored.
"We are trying to determine where the refugees are from,'' he said.

"At this time the asylum seekers are still on their vessel and are complying with police and Customs.''
WA Premier Colin Barnett said he was "alarmed" that a boat carrying asylum seekers could sail undetected into Geraldton.
"This is a serious, unprecedented and unacceptable breach of Australia’s border security," Mr Barnett said.
"That a boat, laden with people, can sail into a busy regional port in broad daylight is shocking.

"Geraldton Port is one of Australia's busiest regional ports and Australia’s second-largest for grain export.
"The State Government is working co-operatively with the Commonwealth on this issue and will ensure people’s welfare is being looked after."

Geraldton's waterfront Dome Cafe manager Steve Branch said customers at the cafe were shocked when the boat sailed in and "dropped anchor'' about 100 metres off-shore.

"At first I don't think people knew what it was. There were a few people that thought it might have been a protest group,'' Mr Branch said.
"But after it had been there for half an hour, a customs boat went out to it and that's when people realised 'wow, that's an asylum seeker boat'.''

Mr Branch said the vessel was "packed'' with about 50 to 60 people on the deck.

"It was an old wooden fishing boat, the same as the asylum boats you see on TV. It basically just sailed in and dropped anchor about 100m off the beach.

"The reaction from most people was amazement - that they had made it this far south.
"There's an awful lot of coastline between us and Broome. It's certainly something we've never seen here before."

- with Ashlee Mullany

The Sydney Morning Herald April 11, 2013 - 11:13AM

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare says Sri Lankans who come to Australia by boat and are not genuine refugees will be flown back home.

Mr Clare was speaking on Thursday after Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Australia Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said most of those leaving his country to come to Australia were doing so for economic reasons.

Earlier this week, a fishing boat carrying 66 suspected asylum seekers from Sri Lanka arrived in the Western Australia port of Geraldton, surprising authorities used to intercepting boats 2000km further north around the Cocos (Keeling) Islands or off Christmas Island.

Admiral Samarasinghe said he expected the 66 people would be sent back, adding there weren't widespread cases of human rights abuse in Sri Lanka.
Mr Clare said the federal government had flown about 1000 people back to Sri Lanka in the past few months and argued the policy was deterring people from getting on boats.

"If you're coming from Sri Lanka and you're not a refugee you'll get flown back home," he told the Seven Network on Thursday.
"The prospect of drowning hasn't put people off but the risk of being flown home in a couple of days has stopped people."
Immigration minister Brendan O'Connor denied those sent back to Sri Lanka were being arrested.
"That's not true," he told ABC radio.

"People who are making wild claims about matters should provide evidence."
Admiral Samarasinghe has also backed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan to reinstate the Howard-era policy of towing back boats if the coalition wins government in September.

"Any Sri Lankan asylum boat being brought by the Australian navy to our waters we will welcome," Admiral Samarasinghe told ABC television on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott said the government had "surrendered to the people smugglers" in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
"We will fix this problem," he told reporters in Geelong, Victoria on Thursday.

Western Australian Liberal Senator Mathias Cormann said the Geraldton boat should have been detected before it arrived.
"This is a boat than came within 400km of Perth," he told Sky News.

The coalition plans to spend about $1.5 billion to buy and operate seven unmanned aircraft to patrol the Australian coastline if it wins government.

"Obviously, a hot spot like the north-west maritime frontier is a place where you'd put these things," opposition defence spokesman David Johnston told ABC radio on Thursday.

Initial inquiries suggest those on the Geraldton boat wanted to reach New Zealand, rather than the Australian mainland.