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British Columbia

The statement from CBSA neither reveals the nationalities of the individuals nor details about their applications — but Surrey, B.C., Mayor Brenda Locke says she's "appalled" to learn the suspects are claiming refugee status to evade deportation.

Surrey mayor says perpetrators 'must face swift justice' rather than abuse immigration system

· The Canadian Press

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A police officer holding a camera in front of a window shattered by two bullets.
Police investigate a shooting at Kap's Cafe in Surrey, B.C., in August — among nearly 100 extortion attempts reported in that city so far this year. The Canada Border Services Agency says that a number of extortion suspects have sought refugee status, though it did not release specifics. (Ethan Cairns/CBC)

The Canada Border Services Agency says 15 foreign nationals facing extortion charges have applied for refugee status in Canada.

The statement from CBSA neither reveals the nationalities of the individuals nor details about their applications — but Surrey, B.C., Mayor Brenda Locke says she's "appalled" to learn the suspects are claiming refugee status to evade deportation.

Locke says extortion attempts have disproportionately impacted her city, and its residents deserve better than to see Canada's legal and immigration systems "abused by criminals to extend their stay in Canada."

The mayor says extortion suspects "must face swift justice," and the federal government must immediately fix immigration and deportation laws to protect communities like hers, which has seen 106 extortion cases so far this year, according to Surrey Police Service.

A white woman wearing a brown coat looks on.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says extortion attempts have disproportionately affected her city. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

CBSA says Canada has legal obligations with respect to asylum, and Canadian law allows persons applying for refugee status to have their cases heard, if they are eligible.

But the agency also says that if individuals are ineligible for a hearing on "more serious grounds," it will ask the Refugee Board of Canada to suspend proceedings until it is decided if individuals are eligible.

CBSA says "persons found inadmissible" for reasons such as "serious criminality" or "organized criminality" won't have their refugee claims heard and instead will be ordered to leave the country.

The refugee claims by the extortion suspects were first reported by Global News.

WATCH | Criminologist calls for international co-operation in extortion cases:

Extortion investigations can't be finished without international co-operation: criminologist

On Friday, federal officials announced they would be chipping in over $1 million to a B.C. task force investigating a rash of extortion cases in the Lower Mainland. Criminologist Galib Bhayani, a former RCMP official, says the violent and traumatic extortion cases can't be properly investigated without proactive international co-operation — particularly with Indian authorities.

B.C. has been hit by a wave of extortion crimes and shootings, which officials have said are mostly targeting the South Asian community.

A provincial task force has been set up to deal with the rash of extortion cases, and the City of Surrey has set up a reward fund to encourage information that leads to extortion convictions.