A student of Haitian descent who unsuccessfully paid more than $5,500 to a temporary foreign worker recruitment agency recently won her small claims lawsuit.
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In a ruling handed down in July, the court ordered SOS Global Recruitment to reimburse Pierrelinne Alphonse $5,599, the cost she paid for her brother and sister in Haiti to come and work in Quebec.
The recruitment agency had offered this opportunity to dozens of diaspora Haitians in Quebec at a price, Le Journal revealed in an investigation.
One alleged victim even told us that he paid more than $25,000 to immigrate ten of his relatives.
However, Quebec law prohibits this type of agency from charging fees for recruiting workers unless exceptions apply.
No work
In addition, the position at a poultry processing factory that was supposed to allow Pierrelinne Alphonse’s siblings to immigrate in 2020 never materialized.
The young woman, like many others, tried to get a refund from the company before, in desperation, taking small claims legal action.
SOS Global’s Montreal offices on Rosemont Boulevard were closed when we visited. Nora T. Lamontagne
The latter submitted her old handwritten receipts as evidence as there was no proper written contract. SOS Global did not appear at the hearing.
The decision made means one less burden on Ms. Alphonse’s shoulders.
A bailiff is needed
“At least I won, but… but I don’t know what to do anymore,” said the nursing student, who had taken on huge debts to pay the agency.
Today she has to call a bailiff in the hope of seeing the color of her money again.
Pierrelinne Alphonse continues to encourage SOS Global alumni to use small claims to claim their dues.
“Come on, try it. Even with a photo of your receipt it can work,” she says.
The CNESST opened an investigation into the agency in 2022 after receiving at least one complaint.
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