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Immigration Daily News Students legal action prompt police raid on unregistered agent's office
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Students legal action prompt police raid on unregistered agent's office
After losing faith in the ability of the authorities to deal with Radovan Laski, a group of Indian students launched legal cases in Victorian courts to recoup tens of thousands of dollars from him.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Mr Radovan Laski may have, “reaped $4 million by convincing up to 100 Indians to hand over up to $40,000 after promising to help them get a 187 visa, which allows a skilled worker to get permanent residency if they are sponsored by a regional employer.”
But Mr Laski failed to find many of the workers the promised jobs and sponsorship. Some of the overseas workers allegedly duped by Mr Laski were promised jobs in skilled working environments but ended up being sent to work in regional abattoirs.
It is reported that Federal police and immigration department officials have now raided the offices of the alleged ringleader of a long-running migration and education racket that exploited dozens of overseas students and workers.
“Police are investigating Radovan Laski and his network of associates - including a former senior Immigration Department official - after they allegedly duped the students and workers into paying up to $40,000 after being falsely promised Australian residency or working visas” says the report
"Mr Laski has been able to continue operating his business, and seek to rip off more overseas students and workers, despite being the subject of multiple complaints to the Immigration Department and police."
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, the chief executive officer of the Consumer Action Law Centre, Gerard Brody, said he had written to federal and state government agencies to warn them that lax policing and regulation was enabling crooked migration and employment-placement businesses to flourish.
"There is a huge and growing market of overseas students and workers who are convinced to hand over huge amounts of money to these traders who operate in this unregulated space,..There needs to be a much greater regulation to get the shonky operators of the system." he said
It is illegal for anyone but a registered migration agent to offer migration advice.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/federal-authorities-raid-offices-of-alleged-visa-racket-boss-radovan-laski-20140401-35whq.html#ixzz2xfczpB6s
Comments
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Wednesday, 02 April 2014I noted that today's Age also features the same article regarding another alleged immigration and education consultancy scam see http://www.theage.com.au/federal-pol...401-35whq.html
There is one line at the bottom of the article mentioning "migration agents" however the terms this "unregulated sector" and "immigration scam", "visas" etc appear well before this and the average punter will no doubt again be convinced anyone involved with immigration is dodgy.
As this gentlemen is not registered there is nothing the OMARA can do about him, they can however defend the profession and make it clear that he is not part of it. By staying silent OMARA only reinforces the perceived public view that he is in fact somehow involved with legitimate RMA's activities.
Is the MA going to release a statement about the importance of using a RMA. Better still the OMARA?
Would be nice to see some high profile backing from our MIA and the regulatory authority. Some mainstream ie, 7, 9, 10, ABC, Fairfax, Murdoch press representation would be welcomed. We should be on the front foot promoting the use of professionals as the best defence against fraud. -
Wednesday, 02 April 2014Dear Colleagues,
Here is another example of a criminal entrepreneur operating with impunity with DIBP being aware of his conduct for about a year before they acted.
This is simply not good enough. we have seen enough procrastinationn and delay by DIBP in the case of Eddie Kang who is operating in the same space. OMARA can do nothing and DIBP drags its heels.
The focus of the press is on the conduct and the use of imprecise terms which all convey the impression that this conduct is unregulated.
The finger is pointed at RMAs because DIBP is simply incompetent and not up to the protection of vulnerable consumers.
Section 280 and the exemptions are a complete disgrace and the negligence of DIBP is staggering.
For 5 years I have sought to get this fixed but their is no appetite for the changes to the Act. The changes are so simple., even I could do it and I did!
I gave the Minister Chris Bowen a Bill to amend the Act and it was sent off to DIBP to be smothered at birth.
Millions of dollars have been stolen by criminal entrepreneurs as a direct result of the failure of DIBP to act.
If DIBP was an RMA they would be deregistered.
If DIBP were private enterprise they would be sacked.
If DIBP won't do the job they are paid to do then they need to say so and give the job to someone else.
RMAs are not to blame for the failure to act by DIBP.
The drive to register RMAs was the mantra of "consumer protection".
In 2012/2013 there were just 407 complaints out of a population of 4899 RMAs.
12 RMAs were sanctioned. RMAs are extraordinarily compliant.
OMARA spend 5 million Dollars a years registering and maintaining the supervision of RMAs but DIBP allows criminals to operate in the same space with impunity.
Perhaps 5 million dollars could be spent looking at what DIBP is not doing and fixing it so that these crimes do not continue!
Perhaps .50 cents can be spent educating dopey journos about what is really happening.
I am sickened by this negligence and frank contempt of the vulnerable. -
Wednesday, 02 April 2014
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, the chief executive officer of the Consumer Action Law Centre, Gerard Brody, said he had written to federal and state government agencies to warn them that lax policing and regulation was enabling crooked migration and employment-placement businesses to flourish.
"There is a huge and growing market of overseas students and workers who are convinced to hand over huge amounts of money to these traders who operate in this unregulated space,..There needs to be a much greater regulation to get the shonky operators of the system." he said
Perhaps the SMH needs to speak to someone who knows what they are talking about rather than soliciting commentary from the uninformed -
Wednesday, 02 April 2014
Sometimes it seems to be easier and more profitable to simply be a migration consultant than a registered migration agent. No fees, no regulations and lax policing.
Perhaps we should look at citizens arrest of unregistered "agents" to ensure their appearance before a court. Would section 458 of the Victoria Crimes Act be relevant (in Victoria) CRIMES ACT 1958 - SECT 458
Person found committing offences may be arrested without warrant by any person
(1) Any person, whether a member of the police force or not, may at any time without warrant apprehend and take before a bail justice or the Magistrates' Court to be dealt with according to law or deliver to a member of the police force to be so taken, any person—
(a) he finds committing any offence (whether an indictable offence or an offence punishable on summary conviction) where he believes on reasonable grounds that the apprehension of the person is necessary for any one or more of the following reasons, namely—
S. 458(1)(a)(i) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 40.30).
(i) to ensure the attendance of the offender before a court of competent jurisdiction;
(ii) to preserve public order;
(iii) to prevent the continuation or repetition of the offence or the commission of a further offence; or
(iv) for the safety or welfare of members of the public or of the offender;
It matters not, I believe, that the offence is under Commonwealth legislation and not Victoria as long as the offence takes place in Victoria. OK so I don't really expect RMAs to band together and carry out actual arrests but I do expect the Federal Police to.
"Joe Blow did give immigration assistance when not a registered migration agent."
These unregistered persons are not migration agents, they are criminals, and should be treated as such: arrested, charged, prosecuted and jailed on conviction. They should be treated as seriously as people smugglers. -
Thursday, 03 April 2014
What about those unregistered migration agents offshore who dupe overseas people of their money on the pretext of sending them with work visas to Australia? Such occurrences are very common in some of the offshore countries. The solution lies in a total worldwide ban on unregistered practice being imposed.
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Thursday, 03 April 2014
Good one Noel,
How about we invoke the common law, a little " posse comitatus". Forgive me if I have invoked the wrong power but we can't leave this to DIBP they clearly can't cope with the demands of their crushing workload.
Immigration blog
It's not illegal at all...............Human Resource managers do it all the time. They are not registered and get away with it. The Mara is only concerned with what REGISTERED migration agents are doing.