Fostering fear

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Activists at Project Genesis were up in arms last week against the property company Les Immeubles Yamiro Inc. and S. Yanex. According to the community group, the landlords have been sending form-letters to their tenants in Cote-des-Neiges, threatening the release of personal information to "Immigration, CLSC, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Solidarity, Landlords Association, Others" if the tenants take the company to the Rental Board in any dispute.

Samantha McGavin, a student social worker at Project Genesis, accused Yamiro of intimidation tactics. "They're trying to discourage people from using the legal recourses available to them," she says. "Many times refugee claimants have had bad experiences in their own countries with authority figures, especially government officials. This letter is very vague and very threatening to people who don't know the system."

The tenant who revealed the letter would not disclose his name to the press, as he was frightened of jeopardizing his upcoming hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board. He was also in a dispute with his landlord--Yamiro and S. Yanex--which he subsequently settled out of court.

Officials at the company were unavailable for comment. :

--Noemi LoPinto

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