Section 119 — Arranging entry
Text of provision
A person shall not disembark a person or group of persons at sea for the purpose of inducing, aiding or abetting them to come into Canada in contravention of this Act.
Plain English
Section 119 creates an offence for any person — including immigration consultants, lawyers, and employers — who knowingly counsels, induces, aids, or abets a foreign national to misrepresent or withhold material facts relating to an immigration or citizenship proceeding.
The offence applies to anyone who assists in arranging irregular entry or who facilitates fraudulent immigration applications, regardless of whether they personally benefit financially.
Practical effect
Section 119 is the basis for prosecutions of "ghost" immigration consultants and agents who file fraudulent applications or coach clients to lie in interviews. It complements the misrepresentation inadmissibility ground under s 40, which targets the applicant themselves. Immigration professionals who facilitate fraud face criminal prosecution under s 119 and regulatory consequences through their professional bodies (CICC for consultants, law societies for lawyers). Mere negligence is not enough — the offence requires knowing assistance.