The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) Director of Communications, Daniel Roukema, has been recognised by the US-based Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) as a defender of upholding Canadian immigration services’ consumers. ICCRC is a regulatory body of Canada that oversees immigration and citizenship consultants and international student advisors of the country.
Roukema will be awarded the 2016 Consumer Protection Award, which recognises one individual every year who has uniquely contributed to improving a comprehensive public awareness of regulatory issues for protecting consumer and public, outreach and citizen advocacy.
A son of immigrants himself, Roukema is said to be the brain behind the confidential whistle-blowing device of ICCRC to keep law enforcement abreast of unapproved representatives providing immigration services.
As per Canadian law, people providing advice on immigration or citizenship for a fee or other consideration must be members of ICCRC, a Canadian law society or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. The device helped the regulatory body to bring to light thousands of potentially deceitful cases by giving tips, which were then reported to law enforcement.
In addition, Roukema also led ICCRC to take part in the federal Competition Bureau’s Fraud Prevention Month campaign. Among his other initiatives to help protect Canadian immigrants was a multilingual educational video which he directed and produced. The video was a hit, and received over 50,000 views in the first month. He also uses social media and offline advertising to help ICCRC’s message reach millions of people worldwide.
ICCRC Interim President & CEO Christopher Barry, lauding the recognition, said that Daniel Roukema understands immigrants’ challenges and had worked untiringly to ensure that immigrants arrived safely on the Canadian shores.
Roukema said that some of the world’s most susceptible populace arrives in Canada to start their life anew and he took pride in working for an organisation that is devoted to making sure that people achieve immigration smoothly, efficiently and lawfully.
CLEAR will present the award to Roukema on 16 September at the organisation’s Annual Educational Conference in Portland, Oregon.