‘The dam is breaking’: Surge in CBSA investigations of extortion suspects encourages mayors

Nearly 300 people are under immigration-related investigation in connection with the extortion crime wave.

The Canada Border Services Agency has launched investigations into 296 people following referrals from B.C.’s Extortion Task Force, a significant jump from the 111 foreign nationals identified in January.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says the new investigative push marks a meaningful shift.

“I do feel like the dam is breaking, and that’s really important because we haven’t up until now,” she said.

Delta Mayor George Harvie echoed that optimism, calling the expanded investigations “a major step to ensure that this extortion activity will be removed from our cities.”

In a statement, the CBSA said 32 people have been issued removal orders, while another nine cases are awaiting admissibility hearings before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

• READ ALSO: 296 investigations, 32 removal orders, 10 deportations in B.C. extortion response so far, CBSA says

The IRB member hearing those cases will have to decide whether to issue a removal order. If such an order is not issued, the hearing subject could proceed with a refugee claim, which can take years to determine.

“The public is going to question the foundation of our refugee determination system because of this,” said Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and policy advisor.

Kurland notes that when an individual files a refugee claim, the normal removal process is automatically paused.

“When you push the button and make that refugee claim, everything stops,” he said, adding that the process can last three to three-and-a-half years, and in some cases up to eight years.

Kurland says increased investment in the refugee system could dramatically reduce wait times.

“All they have to do is spend a fraction of the carrying cost and add more board members … cutting down the waiting times from three-and-a-half years to three-and-a-half months,” he said.

Kurland stresses that a refugee claim does not stop criminal proceedings—and vice versa. He adds that a conviction in an extortion‑related case can accelerate the termination of a claimant’s refugee file.