16/05/2026
Toronto Star Article Summary:
🚨 IRCC Misconduct Report Reveals Time Theft, Nepotism, Privacy Breaches, and Harassment Cases
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its annual misconduct and wrongdoing report for the 2024–25 fiscal year, revealing 105 substantiated cases involving employees working both in Canada and at overseas missions.
The report paints a troubling picture of misconduct within the department responsible for managing Canada’s immigration system, citizenship processing, visas, and refugee applications.
According to the report, the cases involved administrative misconduct, code of conduct violations, privacy breaches, harassment, and abuse of authority. Disciplinary actions ranged from warning letters and corrective training to suspensions and termination.
One of the most serious incidents involved an employee who secretly held two full-time federal government jobs simultaneously between April 2020 and October 2023. Investigators found that the employee committed significant “time theft” by failing to work scheduled hours while also claiming overtime pay.
The employee allegedly falsified activity reports and strategically sent emails during work hours to create the appearance of active participation. The report stated the misconduct occurred during both regular working hours and overtime periods.
Administrative misconduct accounted for the largest category of wrongdoing, with 56 cases identified. Of those, 47 involved time theft, tardiness, absenteeism, or unauthorized leave.
Other incidents included employees:
* falsely claiming projects were progressing normally,
* sharing work credentials with family members to simulate online presence,
* submitting fraudulent medical documentation,
* working from unauthorized locations,
* failing to respond to supervisors,
* and violating privacy procedures.
The report also detailed several cases involving senior executives at IRCC headquarters in Ottawa.
In one investigation launched in 2023, an executive was found to have granted preferential treatment to a subordinate who was also a romantic partner. According to investigators, the executive helped the individual obtain a promotion, approved overtime opportunities, and facilitated employment opportunities for relatives.
A second executive was accused of sharing resumes with subordinates and pressuring them to hire preferred candidates. One of the executive’s own family members was eventually hired. The executive also allegedly directed staff to hire a candidate referred by another executive and pressured employees to offer that person a specific pay level.
A third executive reportedly attempted to arrange reciprocal hiring involving family members of senior staff, although the exchange ultimately did not occur.
The report also identified improper use of immigration systems by employees with access to sensitive applicant information.
Twelve employees were found to have improperly accessed immigration files involving themselves, family members, friends, acquaintances, or cases they were simply curious about.
One employee reportedly used the immigration case management system to locate an estranged family member and monitor information related to a person involved in legal proceedings against them.
Another incident involved an employee who publicly identified themselves online as a Canadian diplomat and discussed aspects of embassy operations on a public blog. The individual reportedly shared private workplace conversations and expressed political opinions about the host country and its government, raising concerns about reputational harm to Canada and IRCC.
The report further documented 22 incidents involving harassment, violence, and disrespectful behaviour within the department.
These incidents included:
* racist and discriminatory comments,
* inappropriate workplace conduct,
* sexual harassment,
* and unwanted physical contact involving coworkers.
IRCC stated that all 105 substantiated cases resulted in administrative or disciplinary action. Penalties included letters of expectation, written reprimands, corrective measures, suspensions of up to 30 days, and termination in some cases.
Deputy Immigration Minister Ted Gallivan acknowledged the seriousness of the findings in the report, stating that while misconduct can occur in any large organization, accountability remains essential when standards are not met.
This is the second annual misconduct and wrongdoing report published by IRCC. The previous year’s report identified 62 substantiated cases, including 37 involving administrative misconduct such as time theft and absenteeism.
The findings are likely to intensify public scrutiny over accountability, internal oversight, and integrity within Canada’s immigration system, particularly at a time when processing delays, backlogs, and public confidence in government institutions remain major concerns.
