Latest news with #Aminata
DW
15-06-2025
- DW
Exploited in Russia: African women forced to make drones – DW – 06/14/2025
They hoped for a better career but ended up in Russia's war factories. A new study reveals how young women, mainly from Africa, have been being exploited. Some of those affected have shared their stories with DW. "I like Russia, its language and culture," Aminata, 20, told DW. She wants to leave her home country of Sierra Leone in a few weeks to pursue an apprenticeship around 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) away in Russia. Her travel costs will be covered by the Alabuga Start program, named after an industrial area in southwestern Russia, where dormitories are provided for program participants. Alabuga Start offers female applicants from poorer countries the prospect of a well-paid career. The Alabuga Special Economic Zone is a large industrial area in the southwestern Russian region of Tatarstan Image: Planet Labs PBC/AP Photo/picture alliance Shattered dreams For most of them, the dream is shattered shortly after their arrival in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a large industrial area in the Russian region of Tatarstan. According to a report published in May by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, many new arrivals find themselves assembling cheap drones under poor conditions. DW contacted several program participants — most of whom do not want to talk about their experiences on the record for fear of reprisals. Chinara, a young Nigerian woman who took part in the Alabuga program and left Russia disappointed, was willing to give an interview via social media messaging services. "They turned us into hard laborers with low wages," she wrote in the chat with DW. "At first we felt good because when we applied, we were offered areas such as logistics, service and catering, crane operators," wrote Chinara, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. She explained that at first it seemed like a rare opportunity for African girls to gain a foothold in these professions. "But when we got here, they changed everything and gave excuses." Some said they were assigned to a drone assembly factory, others supervised drone production, and the rest worked as cleaners. The young women were exposed to "highly dangerous and life-threatening chemicals," Chinara claimed, adding that "Even the Russians themselves do not work there for long because it is a very dangerous place." Why are Africa's youths falling prey to online job scams? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A center of the war economy The Alabuga SEZ is a major production hub for Geran-2 drones, which are based on the Iranian-made Shahed 136 and play a key role in attacks on Ukraine. The SEZ was established in 2006 to attract companies and investments to Tatarstan. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the facility expanded rapidly and parts were converted to military production by adding new buildings or renovating them, as satellite images show. Labor shortages are repeatedly reported from war-torn Russia. At the same time, migrant workers from the Global South are apparently becoming more of a focus for recruiters. According to figures from the Single Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (SIISS), an official Russian government database, more than 111,000 African workers arrived in Russia in 2024 — a 50% increase compared to the first year of the war in 2022. The strongest growth was recorded by Cameroonians, with many others coming from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, the Central African Republic and Gambia. Many young African women work in this suspected drone factory under exploitative conditions Image: Maxar Technologies/AP Photo/picture alliance Almost all of these countries appear in the GI study in connection with Alabuga Start. Initially, according to the study, mainly African women between 18 and 22 were recruited. The program has since been expanded to other developing countries in Asia and Latin America, and several former Soviet republics. The authors of the study analyzed data and conducted around 60 interviews between December 2024 and March 2025. Co-author Julia Stanyard told DW that girls as young as 16 were also hired for drone production by the Alabuga Polytech training facility, which is located on the production site. "The working conditions are exploitative, the young women spoke of working long hours and being supervised by Alabuga management. They work with chemicals that pose a risk to their health," said Stanyard. 'Our daughter talks about forced labor' "The program seems to resemble a form of fraudulent exploitation," Stanyard told DW. "They are not told what they will produce when they are recruited. Many young girls are trapped in Alabuga and leaving the country seems impossible." In Zimbabwe, parents are worried about their children who applied online and set off for Russia with a plane ticket paid for by Alabuga. The mother of a girl from rural northern Zimbabwe complained about her daughter's suffering. "She wanted to further her technical education. Now she told us about forced labor, she is hardly allowed to use her phone and is under surveillance. She has not received the $1,500 (€1,300) she was promised," she told DW. "Now I can't even get her back." A father of another girl who left Zimbabwe for the Alabuga SEZ told DW it was a nightmare that a supposedly credible training program had turned into "a death trap." And a mother in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, told DW about her 20-year-old daughter in Alabuga, who was also supposed to undergo technical training. "But she is doing something completely different. We can hardly speak to her, her passport has been withheld so that she can't run away," the woman told DW. Interpol investigates in Botswana In the neighboring country of Botswana, the training program has now attracted the attention of investigators: Interpol has stepped in to probe whether Alabuga Start is involved in human trafficking. "Alabuga's sham facade is beginning to crumble a little," claimed Stanyard, noting that some countries — such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — have become more aware of the program's risks and have launched investigations. The Alabuga Start program did not respond to DW's request for comment Garikai Mafirakureva in Zimbabwe and Aleksei Strelnikov contributed reporting to this article, which has been adapted from German
DW
13-06-2025
- DW
Russia exploits African women, study finds – DW – 06/13/2025
They hoped for a career — and ended up in Russia's war factories. A new study reveals how young women, mainly from Africa, have been being exploited. Some of those affected have shared their stories with DW. "I like Russia, its language and culture," 20-year-old Aminata told DW. She wants to leave her home country of Sierra Leone in a few weeks to persue an apprenticeship around 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) away in Russia. Her travel costs will be covered by the Alabuga Start program, named after an industrial area in southwestern Russia, where dormitories are provided for program participants. Alabuga Start offers female applicants from poorer countries the prospect of a well-paid career. The Alabuga Special Economic Zone is a large industrial area in the southwestern Russian region of Tatarstan Image: Planet Labs PBC/AP Photo/picture alliance Shattered dreams of better lives For most of them, the dream is shattered shortly after their arrival in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a large industrial area in the Russian region of Tatarstan. According to a report published in May by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI), many new arrivals find themselves assembling cheap drones under poor conditions. DW contacted several program participants — most of whom do not want to talk about their experiences for fear of reprisals. However, Chinara, a young Nigerian woman who took part in the Alabuga program and left Russia disappointed, was willing to give an interview via Messenger. "They turned us into hard laborers with low wages," she wrote in the chat with DW. "At first we felt good because when we applied, we were offered areas such as logistics, service and catering, crane operators," wrote Chinara, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. She explained that at first it seemed like a rare opportunity for African girls to gain a foothold in these professions. "But when we got here, they changed everything and gave excuses." Some said they were assigned to a drone assembly factory, others supervised drone production, and the rest worked as cleaners. The young women were exposed to "highly dangerous and life-threatening chemicals," Chinara claimed, adding that "Even the Russians themselves do not work there for long because it is a very dangerous place." Why are Africa's youths falling prey to online job scams? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A center of the war economy The Alabuga SEZ is a major production hub for Geran-2 drones, which are based on the Iranian-made Shahed 136 and play a key role in attacks on Ukraine. The SEZ was established in 2006 to attract companies and investments to Tatarstan. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the facility expanded rapidly and parts were converted to military production by adding new buildings or renovating them, as satellite images show. Labor shortages are repeatedly reported from war-torn Russia. At the same time, migrant workers from the Global South are apparently becoming more of a focus for recruiters. According to figures from the Single Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (SIISS), an official Russian government database, more than 111,000 African workers arrived in Russia in 2024 — a 50% increase compared to the first year of the war in 2022. The strongest growth was recorded by Cameroonians, with many others coming from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, the Central African Republic and Gambia. Many young African women work in this suspected drone factory under exploitative conditions Image: Maxar Technologies/AP Photo/picture alliance Almost all of these countries appear in the GI study in connection with Alabuga Start. Initially, according to the study, mainly African women between 18 and 22 were recruited. The program has since been expanded to other developing countries in Asia and Latin America, and several former Soviet republics. The authors of the study analyzed data and chats and conducted around 60 interviews between December 2024 and March 2025. Co-author Julia Stanyard told DW that girls as young as 16 were also hired for drone production by the Alabuga Polytech training facility, which is located on the production site. "The working conditions are exploitative, the young women spoke of working long hours and being supervised by Alabuga management. They work with chemicals that pose a risk to their health," said Stanyard. 'Our daughter talks about forced labor' "The program seems to resemble a form of fraudulent exploitation," Stanyard told DW. "They are not told what they will produce when they are recruited. Many young girls are trapped in Alabuga and leaving the country seems impossible." In Zimbabwe, parents are worried about their children who applied online and set off for Russia with a plane ticket paid for by Alabuga. The mother of a girl from rural northern Zimbabwe complained about her daughter's suffering. "She wanted to further her technical education. Now she told us about forced labor, she is hardly allowed to use her phone and is under surveillance. She has not received the $1,500 (€1,300) she was promised," she told DW. "Now I can't even get her back." A father of another girl who left Zimbabwe for the Alabuga SEZ told DW it was a nightmare that a supposedly credible training program had turned into "a death trap." And a mother in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, told DW about her 20-year-old daughter in Alabuga, who was also supposed to undergo technical training. "But she is doing something completely different. We can hardly speak to her, her passport has been withheld so that she can't run away," the woman told DW. Interpol investigates in Botswana In the neighboring country of Botswana, the training program has now attracted the attention of investigators: Interpol has stepped in to probe whether Alabuga Start is involved in human trafficking. "Alabuga's sham facade is beginning to crumble a little," claimed Stanyard, noting that some countries — such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — have become more aware of the program's risks and have launched investigations. The Alabuga Start program did not respond to DW's request for comment Garikai Mafirakureva in Zimbabwe and Aleksei Strelnikov contributed reporting to this article, which has been adapted from German
10-06-2025
She came to Canada for university, but she'd never been accepted. The scam cost her $7K
With an admission letter to a Quebec university in hand, Aminata flew from Benin, west Africa, to Montreal with $2,000 in her pocket to fulfil her dream of pursuing higher education in Canada. Back in 2022, she'd connected with a man who she says positioned himself as a consultant who could process her documents and submit her university and immigration applications. But not long after she landed in Montreal and made her way to Chicoutimi, Que., she realized it was all a scam. She had not been accepted to university. She did not have a scholarship. Her immigration papers were fraudulent and based on a falsified acceptance letter. My dream turned into a nightmare, Aminata said. CBC is using a pseudonym to protect her identity because, due to her falsified immigration papers, she is without legal status in Canada. Clasping her hands while sitting in her apartment in Chicoutimi, nearly two years after the ordeal, the 30-year-old Beninois still doesn't feel settled or safe. I'm living with the fear that at any time I can get deported, she said. This is not a life. Aminata doesn't want to go back home now, saying she would have to completely start again in Benin. CBC News is using a pseudonym to protect her identity because of her immigration status. (CBC) Photo: CBC / Rachel Watts Aminata was not the only victim of the scam. CBC News has spoken to another woman who says the same man who presented himself as a consultant took her money after he was hired to submit her university applications. According to an expert, not only is this type of fraud becoming common, but prospective students in Africa are among those targeted by scammers in high numbers. 'I gave him all my money' For Aminata, it all started when she came into contact with the consultant through her uncle. She said the pair agreed on $4,000 before the price for the agent's service went up. I gave him all my money, she said, adding that it totalled about $7,000 in the end. She sent along the required documents — her birth certificate and diplomas. Within a few months, she was emailed an acceptance letter into the master of organization management program at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. She says the man also managed to get her the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (new window) (CAQ) — the province's mandatory document which permits international students to apply for a study permit. Although she considered deferring her acceptance to stay in Benin to save up money, she says the agent, who is also from Benin and studied in Chicoutimi, pressured her to book the flights and start school immediately. He asked me to not worry. [That] everything is under control, she said. But something was off. She arrived in Montreal on Aug. 28, 2023, and in mere days, the whole scheme unraveled. WATCH | Aminata says her dream turned into a nightmare: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? They paid a consultant thousands to help them go to university in Canada. It was a scam Two women who came from West Africa to study in Quebec say they found out after they arrived that the university acceptance letters arranged for them by a consultant, which their immigration papers were based on, were fraudulent. She says the consultant suddenly informed her he was deferring her acceptance. A fellow Chicoutimi student in whom she confided about her situation told Aminata she needed to go to the administration to sort out her status as a student. She says the consultant wouldn't answer her calls but when she finally got him on the line, he became defensive, started shouting, and told her not to give the school the documentation and acceptance letter he provided. They told me that they feel like I have been scammed, she recalled the school's administration saying, adding that she found out her real application file was open but incomplete. She says the consultant had submitted fraudulent paperwork. That day, I was feeling like this is not true, she said. Another victim, same story Fatim only realized she was a victim of a scam after seeing Aminata's story in a Radio-Canada report. (new window) Her story was the same as mine, said Fatim, who travelled to Quebec from Benin in July 2023. CBC News is also using a pseudonym to protect her identity because of her concerns over her immigration status. She arrived with the intention of starting university in Chicoutimi after receiving an admission letter and documentation from the same consultant as Aminata. Aminata pictured with her university acceptance letter. She believed it was authentic until she approached the school's administration. Photo: Radio-Canada / Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette Upon arrival, she says the consultant abandoned her despite promises to help her defer her acceptance. I didn't know it was fraud but I had felt that something was not normal, said Fatim, who says she still feels overwhelmed and imprisoned by her situation. Her father, who was responsible for connecting with the consultant, sent him thousands of dollars to help secure the university applications — even selling a property to afford it. Knowing the effort and money he put into helping her, Fatim says she tried to keep the truth from him after her schooling fell through. One day my dad said, 'my girl, tell me what's really going on?' said Fatim. I remember it like it was yesterday. She said once her father found out what happened, his health took a turn for the worse. He felt responsible for getting his daughter into trouble without even knowing it. He died in December 2024, and Fatim couldn't get back home. Although she considered returning to Benin to her family and husband — whom she hasn't seen in nearly two years — she says she wants to build a life for herself in Canada and prove to Immigration Canada that this was truly not her fault. She says the agent had previously told her she could apply for asylum in Canada to secure her immigration status — a step she said didn't feel right. She says she didn't want to abuse Canada's system. Fatim recalled telling the consultant, I want another way out of this mess you've gotten me into. CBC News contacted the man who Aminata and Fatim say scammed them. In a brief phone call, he denied allegations that he is an agent who helps people submit applications to university. He also denied having taken any money. CBC has not been able to reach him for follow up questions or an interview. His number has since been deactivated. Dozens of fraudulent admission letters The way things are, victims of immigration fraud often have little recourse, says Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and policy analyst based in Vancouver. He says it's also more difficult for people to do their due diligence because they are less familiar with the Canadian college system. The communication infrastructure is not the same, he said. And literally some people have sold the farm to get to Canada to study. Now those are tragedies. In his career, he says scams for immigration foreign study permits have become as common as Vancouver rain. The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) says 44 cases of fraudulent admission letters were identified by the registrar's office between June and December 2023. While most of the individuals who received these letters did not show up on campus, 12 did, said a university spokesperson in an emailed statement. In cases where individuals showed up on campus with a CAQ document and study permit obtained through the falsified letter, UQAC says they took the necessary precautions to advise the authorities. UQAC says several calls were made to Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration to question the validity of the CAQ paperwork obtained by these students. In an emailed statement, the ministry told CBC that in the past few years, admission letters containing irregular elements and inauthentic parts have been detected in several files. The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi says between June and December 2023, 44 cases of fraudulent admission letters were identified by the registrar's office. Photo: Radio-Canada / Julien Gagnon Although these situations remain marginal in relation to the overall volume of requests processed, they are rigorously monitored, read the statement. The ministry also confirmed that in order to act as an immigration consultant, an individual must be recognized as such by the government. When an immigration consultant obtains this recognition, his or her name is entered in the register of immigration consultants (new window) . The name of the consultant both women used is not part of the province's list. 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraud In 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that investigations uncovered nearly 1,550 study permit applications were linked to fraudulent letters of acceptance. This number also includes those that were detected two to three years prior, it says. These applications were intended for designated learning institutions (new window) (DLIs) — a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students, read the statement. In most of these cases, the fraud was detected and subsequent applications were refused, it said. IRCC says the verification process for acceptance letters requires that DLIs verify the authenticity of all letters. To date, the improved letter of acceptance verification system has intercepted more than 10,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance, IRCC says. 'Nobody is doing anything' Both Fatim and Aminata have blocked the consultant's number and are being represented by the same lawyer in their attempt to find a solution for their cases and move forward. Aminata says when she was first informed about the scam, she told UQAC that the agent who falsified her acceptance was a student. UQAC confirmed to Radio-Canada that he was then expelled from his university program. Aminata applied to the university again, contacted the prime minister, the federal minister of immigration, provincial politicians, the anti-fraud service and local police. After that, there was a silence, she said. Saguenay police confirmed to Radio-Canada that they could not take on Aminata's file because the fraud happened overseas. In an emailed statement, it says the victim was referred to her embassy and local police force. They asked me to talk and I talked and nobody is doing anything, Aminata said. I still have that little bit of light … hope that things will change. Rachel Watts (new window) · CBC News
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
She came to Canada for university, but she'd never been accepted. The scam cost her $7K
With an admission letter to a Quebec university in hand, Aminata flew from Benin, west Africa, to Montreal with $2,000 in her pocket to fulfil her dream of pursuing higher education in Canada. Back in 2022, she'd connected with a man who she says positioned himself as a consultant who could process her documents and submit her university and immigration applications. But not long after she landed in Montreal and made her way to Chicoutimi, Que., she realized it was all a scam. She had not been accepted to university. She did not have a scholarship. Her immigration papers were fraudulent and based on a falsified acceptance letter. "My dream turned into a nightmare," Aminata said. CBC is using a pseudonym to protect her identity because, due to her falsified immigration papers, she is without legal status in Canada. Clasping her hands while sitting in her apartment in Chicoutimi, nearly two years after the ordeal, the 30-year-old Beninois still doesn't feel settled or safe. "I'm living with the fear that at any time I can get deported," she said. "This is not a life." Aminata doesn't want to go back home now, saying she would have to completely "start again" in Benin. Aminata was not the only victim of the scam. CBC News has spoken to another woman who says the same man who presented himself as a consultant took her money after he was hired to submit her university applications. According to an expert, not only is this type of fraud becoming common, but prospective students in Africa are among those targeted by scammers in high numbers. 'I gave him all my money' For Aminata, it all started when she came into contact with the consultant through her uncle. She said the pair agreed on $4,000 before the price for the agent's service went up. "I gave him all my money," she said, adding that it totalled about $7,000 in the end. She sent along the required documents — her birth certificate and diplomas. Within a few months, she was emailed an acceptance letter into the master of organization management program at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. She says the man also managed to get her the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) — the province's mandatory document which permits international students to apply for a study permit. Although she considered deferring her acceptance to stay in Benin to save up money, she says the agent, who is also from Benin and studied in Chicoutimi, pressured her to book the flights and start school immediately. "He asked me to not worry. [That] everything is under control," she said. But something was off. She arrived in Montreal on Aug. 28, 2023, and in mere days, the whole scheme unraveled. WATCH | Aminata says her dream turned into a nightmare: She says the consultant suddenly informed her he was deferring her acceptance. A fellow Chicoutimi student in whom she confided about her situation told Aminata she needed to go to the administration to sort out her status as a student. She says the consultant wouldn't answer her calls but when she finally got him on the line, he became defensive, started shouting, and told her not to give the school the documentation and acceptance letter he provided. "They told me that they feel like I have been scammed," she recalled the school's administration saying, adding that she found out her real application file was open but incomplete. She says the consultant had submitted fraudulent paperwork. "That day, I was feeling like this is not true," she said. Another victim, same story Fatim only realized she was a victim of a scam after seeing Aminata's story in a Radio-Canada report. "Her story was the same as mine," said Fatim, who travelled to Quebec from Benin in July 2023. CBC News is also using a pseudonym to protect her identity because of her concerns over her immigration status. She arrived with the intention of starting university in Chicoutimi after receiving an admission letter and documentation from the same consultant as Aminata. Upon arrival, she says the consultant abandoned her despite promises to help her defer her acceptance. "I didn't know it was fraud but I had felt that something was not normal," said Fatim, who says she still feels overwhelmed and "imprisoned" by her situation. Her father, who was responsible for connecting with the consultant, sent him thousands of dollars to help secure the university applications — even selling a property to afford it. Knowing the effort and money he put into helping her, Fatim says she tried to keep the truth from him after her schooling fell through. "One day my dad said, 'my girl, tell me what's really going on?'" said Fatim. "I remember it like it was yesterday." She said once her father found out what happened, his health took a turn for the worse. "He felt responsible for getting his daughter into trouble without even knowing it." He died in December 2024, and Fatim couldn't get back home. Although she considered returning to Benin to her family and husband — whom she hasn't seen in nearly two years — she says she wants to build a life for herself in Canada and prove to Immigration Canada that this was truly not her fault. She says the agent had previously told her she could apply for asylum in Canada to secure her immigration status — a step she said didn't feel right. She says she didn't want to abuse Canada's system. Fatim recalled telling the consultant, "I want another way out of this mess you've gotten me into." CBC News contacted the man who Aminata and Fatim say scammed them. In a brief phone call, he denied allegations that he is an agent who helps people submit applications to university. He also denied having taken any money. CBC has not been able to reach him for follow up questions or an interview. His number has since been deactivated. Dozens of fraudulent admission letters The way things are, victims of immigration fraud often have little recourse, says Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and policy analyst based in Vancouver. He says it's also more difficult for people to do their due diligence because they are less familiar with the Canadian college system. "The communication infrastructure is not the same," he said. "And literally some people have sold the farm to get to Canada to study. Now those are tragedies." In his career, he says scams for immigration foreign study permits have become as "common as Vancouver rain." The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) says 44 cases of fraudulent admission letters were identified by the registrar's office between June and December 2023. While most of the individuals who received these letters did not show up on campus, 12 did, said a university spokesperson in an emailed statement. In cases where individuals showed up on campus with a CAQ document and study permit obtained through the falsified letter, UQAC says they took the "necessary precautions to advise the authorities." UQAC says several calls were made to Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration to question the validity of the CAQ paperwork obtained by these students. In an emailed statement, the ministry told CBC that in the past few years, admission letters containing "irregular elements" and "inauthentic" parts have been detected in several files. "Although these situations remain marginal in relation to the overall volume of requests processed, they are rigorously monitored," read the statement. The ministry also confirmed that in order to act as an immigration consultant, an individual must be recognized as such by the government. When an immigration consultant obtains this recognition, his or her name is entered in the register of immigration consultants. The name of the consultant both women used is not part of the province's list. 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraud In 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that investigations uncovered nearly 1,550 study permit applications were linked to fraudulent letters of acceptance. This number also includes those that were detected two to three years prior, it says. These applications were intended for designated learning institutions (DLIs) — a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students, read the statement. "In most of these cases, the fraud was detected and subsequent applications were refused," it said. IRCC says the verification process for acceptance letters requires that DLIs verify the authenticity of all letters. To date, the improved letter of acceptance verification system has intercepted more than 10,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance, IRCC says. 'Nobody is doing anything' Both Fatim and Aminata have blocked the consultant's number and are being represented by the same lawyer in their attempt to find a solution for their cases and move forward. Aminata says when she was first informed about the scam, she told UQAC that the agent who falsified her acceptance was a student. UQAC confirmed to Radio-Canada that he was then expelled from his university program. Aminata applied to the university again, contacted the prime minister, the federal minister of immigration, provincial politicians, the anti-fraud service and local police. "After that, there was a silence," she said. Saguenay police confirmed to Radio-Canada that they could not take on Aminata's file because the fraud happened overseas. In an emailed statement, it says "the victim was referred to her embassy and local police force." "They asked me to talk and I talked and nobody is doing anything," Aminata said. "I still have that little bit of light … hope that things will change."
CBC
10-06-2025
- CBC
She came to Canada for university, but she'd never been accepted. The scam cost her $7K
With an admission letter to a Quebec university in hand, Aminata flew from Benin, west Africa, to Montreal with $2,000 in her pocket to fulfil her dream of pursuing higher education in Canada. Back in 2022, she'd connected with a man who she says positioned himself as a consultant who could process her documents and submit her university and immigration applications. But not long after she landed in Montreal and made her way to Chicoutimi, Que., she realized it was all a scam. She had not been accepted to university. She did not have a scholarship. Her immigration papers were fraudulent and based on a falsified acceptance letter. "My dream turned into a nightmare," Aminata said. CBC is using a pseudonym to protect her identity because, due to her falsified immigration papers, she is without legal status in Canada. Clasping her hands while sitting in her apartment in Chicoutimi, nearly two years after the ordeal, the 30-year-old Beninois still doesn't feel settled or safe. "I'm living with the fear that at any time I can get deported," she said. "This is not a life." Aminata doesn't want to go back home now, saying she would have to completely "start again" in Benin. Aminata was not the only victim of the scam. CBC News has spoken to another woman who says the same man who presented himself as a consultant took her money after he was hired to submit her university applications. According to an expert, not only is this type of fraud becoming common, but prospective students in Africa are among those targeted by scammers in high numbers. 'I gave him all my money' For Aminata, it all started when she came into contact with the consultant through her uncle. She said the pair agreed on $4,000 before the price for the agent's service went up. "I gave him all my money," she said, adding that it totalled about $7,000 in the end. She sent along the required documents — her birth certificate and diplomas. Within a few months, she was emailed an acceptance letter into the master of organization management program at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. She says the man also managed to get her the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) — the province's mandatory document which permits international students to apply for a study permit. Although she considered deferring her acceptance to stay in Benin to save up money, she says the agent, who is also from Benin and studied in Chicoutimi, pressured her to book the flights and start school immediately. "He asked me to not worry. [That] everything is under control," she said. But something was off. She arrived in Montreal on Aug. 28, 2023, and in mere days, the whole scheme unraveled. WATCH | Aminata says her dream turned into a nightmare: She says the consultant suddenly informed her he was deferring her acceptance. A fellow Chicoutimi student in whom she confided about her situation told Aminata she needed to go to the administration to sort out her status as a student. She says the consultant wouldn't answer her calls but when she finally got him on the line, he became defensive, started shouting, and told her not to give the school the documentation and acceptance letter he provided. "They told me that they feel like I have been scammed," she recalled the school's administration saying, adding that she found out her real application file was open but incomplete. She says the consultant had submitted fraudulent paperwork. "That day, I was feeling like this is not true," she said. Another victim, same story Fatim only realized she was a victim of a scam after seeing Aminata's story in a Radio-Canada report. "Her story was the same as mine," said Fatim, who travelled to Quebec from Benin in July 2023. CBC News is also using a pseudonym to protect her identity because of her concerns over her immigration status. She arrived with the intention of starting university in Chicoutimi after receiving an admission letter and documentation from the same consultant as Aminata. Upon arrival, she says the consultant abandoned her despite promises to help her defer her acceptance. "I didn't know it was fraud but I had felt that something was not normal," said Fatim, who says she still feels overwhelmed and "imprisoned" by her situation. Her father, who was responsible for connecting with the consultant, sent him thousands of dollars to help secure the university applications — even selling a property to afford it. Knowing the effort and money he put into helping her, Fatim says she tried to keep the truth from him after her schooling fell through. "One day my dad said, 'my girl, tell me what's really going on?'" said Fatim. "I remember it like it was yesterday." She said once her father found out what happened, his health took a turn for the worse. "He felt responsible for getting his daughter into trouble without even knowing it." He died in December 2024, and Fatim couldn't get back home. Although she considered returning to Benin to her family and husband — whom she hasn't seen in nearly two years — she says she wants to build a life for herself in Canada and prove to Immigration Canada that this was truly not her fault. She says the agent had previously told her she could apply for asylum in Canada to secure her immigration status — a step she said didn't feel right. She says she didn't want to abuse Canada's system. Fatim recalled telling the consultant, "I want another way out of this mess you've gotten me into." CBC News contacted the man who Aminata and Fatim say scammed them. In a brief phone call, he denied allegations that he is an agent who helps people submit applications to university. He also denied having taken any money. CBC has not been able to reach him for follow up questions or an interview. His number has since been deactivated. Dozens of fraudulent admission letters The way things are, victims of immigration fraud often have little recourse, says Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and policy analyst based in Vancouver. He says it's also more difficult for people to do their due diligence because they are less familiar with the Canadian college system. "The communication infrastructure is not the same," he said. "And literally some people have sold the farm to get to Canada to study. Now those are tragedies." In his career, he says scams for immigration foreign study permits have become as "common as Vancouver rain." The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) says 44 cases of fraudulent admission letters were identified by the registrar's office between June and December 2023. While most of the individuals who received these letters did not show up on campus, 12 did, said a university spokesperson in an emailed statement. In cases where individuals showed up on campus with a CAQ document and study permit obtained through the falsified letter, UQAC says they took the "necessary precautions to advise the authorities." UQAC says several calls were made to Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration to question the validity of the CAQ paperwork obtained by these students. In an emailed statement, the ministry told CBC that in the past few years, admission letters containing "irregular elements" and "inauthentic" parts have been detected in several files. "Although these situations remain marginal in relation to the overall volume of requests processed, they are rigorously monitored," read the statement. The ministry also confirmed that in order to act as an immigration consultant, an individual must be recognized as such by the government. When an immigration consultant obtains this recognition, his or her name is entered in the register of immigration consultants. The name of the consultant both women used is not part of the province's list. 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraud In 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that investigations uncovered nearly 1,550 study permit applications were linked to fraudulent letters of acceptance. This number also includes those that were detected two to three years prior, it says. These applications were intended for designated learning institutions (DLIs) — a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students, read the statement. "In most of these cases, the fraud was detected and subsequent applications were refused," it said. IRCC says the verification process for acceptance letters requires that DLIs verify the authenticity of all letters. To date, the improved letter of acceptance verification system has intercepted more than 10,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance, IRCC says. 'Nobody is doing anything' Both Fatim and Aminata have blocked the consultant's number and are being represented by the same lawyer in their attempt to find a solution for their cases and move forward. Aminata says when she was first informed about the scam, she told UQAC that the agent who falsified her acceptance was a student. UQAC confirmed to Radio-Canada that he was then expelled from his university program. Aminata applied to the university again, contacted the prime minister, the federal minister of immigration, provincial politicians, the anti-fraud service and local police. "After that, there was a silence," she said. Saguenay police confirmed to Radio-Canada that they could not take on Aminata's file because the fraud happened overseas. In an emailed statement, it says "the victim was referred to her embassy and local police force." "They asked me to talk and I talked and nobody is doing anything," Aminata said.
