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Incident at Montreal's Passport Office

romanbel0

Full Member
Nov 13, 2016
28
11
Hey guys,

Sharing my horrific experience I had after long years of waiting for citizenship and then applying for passport.


On XX at about noon I showed up at the Passport Canada Office in Montreal at Complex Guy-Favreau in order to apply for a new passport (never had one before). At the register I explained that I wanted to pick up a new passport at another Passport Canada Office location in BC. The lady at the counter went to verify and told me that it would not be a problem if I paid $45 transfer fee. The same information was given to me a week ago over the phone by the representative of Passport Canada at this number: 1-800-567-6868.

So, the lady gave me the queue number B650, and I waited for about 1.5 hours. When I was called to the window #9 at about 1:30 pm, another lady again went to verify if this is possible and again confirmed it, but asked to go to another window #5.

At that window a gentleman presented himself as Luis told me that he could not do that. At this point, I insisted that 3 people before him confirmed that it is possible and I asked him if I could talk to the supervisor of the branch about the situation. After these my words Luis aggressively interrupted me and said that he is the one who takes decisions and that if I insist to see the supervisor again he would "call the guards to kick you out", he then asked "is it clear?" pointing his finger at my face. I note that my behavior was calm and respectful and the only thing I quietly asked for was to talk to a branch supervisor since I was consistently given conflicting information from different employees.

The employee named Luis then refused to accept my documents giving the explanation that "the transfer is different thing" and that one cannot apply for passport in Montreal and pick it up in BC.

On XXX I filed a complaint with Passport Canada Program online. On XX I received a call from Martin, assistant manager at Montreal's office, from a number 514-283-4792. He told me that what I had asked for was actually possible and that the employee Luis wanted to call guards on me because he "did not feel safe". He did not explain or apologize for the aggressive tone of his employee, neither why my application has not been accepted.

I find the behavior of this employee discriminating and harassing. I am of a foreign ancestry and neither English nor French are my native languages which was clear from the way I spoke. I just obtained a Canadian citizenship a week before the incident. The conversation was in English. The employee refused to listen to me and declined my request to talk to a supervisor. I was refused service at the public federal office because of the way I speak and appear, and because I insisted on these my rights I was subject to verbal violence under a threat to be physically assaulted by the guards.


The matter is currently at Canadian Human Rights Commission. Be aware of what is awaiting for you after you think all your struggles with bureaucrats are over.
 

oomuchi

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Hey guys,

Sharing my horrific experience I had after long years of waiting for citizenship and then applying for passport.


On XX at about noon I showed up at the Passport Canada Office in Montreal at Complex Guy-Favreau in order to apply for a new passport (never had one before). At the register I explained that I wanted to pick up a new passport at another Passport Canada Office location in BC. The lady at the counter went to verify and told me that it would not be a problem if I paid $45 transfer fee. The same information was given to me a week ago over the phone by the representative of Passport Canada at this number: 1-800-567-6868.

So, the lady gave me the queue number B650, and I waited for about 1.5 hours. When I was called to the window #9 at about 1:30 pm, another lady again went to verify if this is possible and again confirmed it, but asked to go to another window #5.

At that window a gentleman presented himself as Luis told me that he could not do that. At this point, I insisted that 3 people before him confirmed that it is possible and I asked him if I could talk to the supervisor of the branch about the situation. After these my words Luis aggressively interrupted me and said that he is the one who takes decisions and that if I insist to see the supervisor again he would "call the guards to kick you out", he then asked "is it clear?" pointing his finger at my face. I note that my behavior was calm and respectful and the only thing I quietly asked for was to talk to a branch supervisor since I was consistently given conflicting information from different employees.

The employee named Luis then refused to accept my documents giving the explanation that "the transfer is different thing" and that one cannot apply for passport in Montreal and pick it up in BC.

On XXX I filed a complaint with Passport Canada Program online. On XX I received a call from Martin, assistant manager at Montreal's office, from a number 514-283-4792. He told me that what I had asked for was actually possible and that the employee Luis wanted to call guards on me because he "did not feel safe". He did not explain or apologize for the aggressive tone of his employee, neither why my application has not been accepted.

I find the behavior of this employee discriminating and harassing. I am of a foreign ancestry and neither English nor French are my native languages which was clear from the way I spoke. I just obtained a Canadian citizenship a week before the incident. The conversation was in English. The employee refused to listen to me and declined my request to talk to a supervisor. I was refused service at the public federal office because of the way I speak and appear, and because I insisted on these my rights I was subject to verbal violence under a threat to be physically assaulted by the guards.


The matter is currently at Canadian Human Rights Commission. Be aware of what is awaiting for you after you think all your struggles with bureaucrats are over.

Thanks for sharing your experience. ;) and I share your feelings... :eek:
Even with the Canadian passport we will not be treated like a Canadian born.:cool:
They will always look at us as immigrants.:D
 
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KRP

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Thanks for sharing your experience. ;) and I share your feelings... :eek:
Even with the Canadian passport we will not be treated like a Canadian born.:cool:
They will always look at us as immigrants.:D
Canadian born/ immigrant etc are all bull shit.
Just tell me who is a real Canadian. Not a single person.
If you read the Discover Canada stuff its the poor aboriginal people who are the REAL Canadians.
Rest all are immigrants and maybe 3 or 4 or 5 th generations staying here.
Its the mindset some need to change in this country. I am white , you are black or brownie all these stuff as long as its in people mind such type of behaviour will exist.
If you check all these so called people blood colour is it purple. No every ones is Red. Then why discriminate on language, colour, race , accent etc.
I have had personal bad encounters in this country by some real racist people.
Once you fall dead where does all that so called pride go.
So my saying is LIVE and let others LIVE too.
 

ZingyDNA

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Canadian born/ immigrant etc are all bull shit.
Just tell me who is a real Canadian. Not a single person.
If you read the Discover Canada stuff its the poor aboriginal people who are the REAL Canadians.
Rest all are immigrants and maybe 3 or 4 or 5 th generations staying here.
Its the mindset some need to change in this country. I am white , you are black or brownie all these stuff as long as its in people mind such type of behaviour will exist.
If you check all these so called people blood colour is it purple. No every ones is Red. Then why discriminate on language, colour, race , accent etc.
I have had personal bad encounters in this country by some real racist people.
Once you fall dead where does all that so called pride go.
So my saying is LIVE and let others LIVE too.
Even the aboriginal people migrated here tens of thousands of years ago. We all belong to Africa ;)
 

dabas

Star Member
Jan 27, 2016
95
2
Hey guys,


The matter is currently at Canadian Human Rights Commission. Be aware of what is awaiting for you after you think all your struggles with bureaucrats are over.
It will be very difficult to win in the Commission. There seems to be no evidence that you wer not treated properly because of your colour, origin, religion, sex orientation, etc.
 

romanbel0

Full Member
Nov 13, 2016
28
11
It will be very difficult to win in the Commission. There seems to be no evidence that you wer not treated properly because of your colour, origin, religion, sex orientation, etc.
I know. Are you suggesting me do nothing and let these incompetent arrogant people keep treating us this way? At least I raised my voice. Of course, no expectation of easy justice. Haha. We have seen such things all too many to be that naive.
 

JPBless

Hero Member
May 14, 2018
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I know. Are you suggesting me do nothing and let these incompetent arrogant people keep treating us this way? At least I raised my voice. Of course, no expectation of easy justice. Haha. We have seen such things all too many to be that naive.
You have a very good point there. Doing nothing kind of gives the employee the impetus to treat other people same way.

This reminded me of what happened to a friend of mine at Pearson Airport Toronto. My friend had gone to the airport in company of another friend to pick up someone coming from overseas. They waited and waited and when the traveler did not show up they went to Customs to inquire if anything was wrong. The person they asked - a customs officer - rudely said he would not talk to any of them about the passenger unless they are citizens and have been citizens for no less than 6 years. My friend's friend told the officer he'd been a citizen for 3 years and the officer replied that he couldn't give him any information about the passenger, and the guy backed off.

The officer finally talked to my friend when my friend disclosed that he (my friend) had been citizen for 15 years. I laughed when I heard the story. I asked whether Canadian citizen rights is predicated on length of citizenship because that's what I would have asked the officer. The Customs Officer called a bluff and his bluff wasn't challenged. This would have made a good case at Human Rights Commission; being a citizen is one thing, standing up for one's rights is another
 
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foodie69

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Dec 18, 2015
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A simple complaint to Luis' superior would have been sufficient.
I think your ego was hurt more than your human rights..
 

romanbel0

Full Member
Nov 13, 2016
28
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Is it okay to hurt peoples ego with guards in official office?
If you read the text, you ll see that complaint was actually filed. And apparently his supervisor thinks that it is.
 
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JPBless

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May 14, 2018
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A simple complaint to Luis' superior would have been sufficient.
I think your ego was hurt more than your human rights..
Two things;
1. The guy reported to Luis' superior but got no where.
2. Generally government workers all over the world - a common trend - do not like to be told they are wrong, or that they made wrong call. That's worse when the worker believes he's dealing with a naive novice who ought to just do whatever he's told. A new citizen would be perceived as a naive novice by the government worker. On the contrary, it seems it was the worker's ego that was hurt more than that of the new citizen/passport applicant. Plus, the worker's incompetence precipitated this.

Of course there's exception to my generalization... all government workers are not the same and there are many who'd go out of their way to assist citizens.

As for me, I probably will not go as far as Human Rights but I am neither Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mandela nor Rosa Parks. lol.
 
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romanbel0

Full Member
Nov 13, 2016
28
11
Two things;
1. The guy reported to Luis' superior but got no where.
2. Generally government workers all over the world - a common trend - do not like to be told they are wrong, or that they made wrong call. That's worse when the worker believes he's dealing with a naive novice who ought to just do whatever he's told. A new citizen would be perceived as a naive novice by the government worker. On the contrary, it seems it was the worker's ego that was hurt more than that of the new citizen/passport applicant. Plus, the worker's incompetence precipitated this.

Of course there's exception to my generalization... all government workers are not the same and there are many who'd go out of their way to assist citizens.

As for me, I probably will not go as far as Human Rights but I am neither Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mandela nor Rosa Parks. lol.
Neither am I unfortunately, thats why I just went with this hopeless Human Rights thing. Above named people would go on the streets.
 

nanni_doc

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I know you are angry and have every right to be, unless you are an aboriginal, you aren't real Canadian. Sadly, its people like that clerk who bring a racist name to the good Canadian community living here for centuries.

You have done what you should, which is filing a complain. Rather than be angry at him, you should pity him, you can speak more than 1 language, traveled thousands of kilometers and made Canada your country legally, your kids will be part of more than 1 culture. The clerk cannot boast of either of these things.

So just pity him, that's what I would do!
 
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