Fazila Limaliya considers herself a traditional woman. A Muslim, who grew up in India, she married an Indian-born man from Canada she had never met -- in a union arranged by their families. When her husband Manju eventually brought her to Toronto, she expected nothing more than to be his stay-at-home wife, and hopefully the mother of his children.

"And I love him," said Limaliya. "That's why I did that."

Now, at 28 years old, she is homeless, jobless and alone -- living in a Toronto woman's shelter. She says, after she came to Canada, it became clear her husband's family didn't like her. Eventually, she says, he told her he didn't want her anymore -- and he cut off all contact and support.

"I think he wants to show them (his family) that he doesn't love me that he doesn't care about me, that's why," said Limaliya. "Now I feel very lonely and sometimes very depressed."

She is without any means of support, despite the fact that her husband, Manju Abdulkader, signed a legally binding Immigration document, promising to be financially responsible for her for 10 years.

"This is my husband's responsibility to look after me and to give me housing and support but he's not doing that," said Limaliya. "There are many women like me who don't get support from (their) husband, so Immigration should do something so men would not do this to another girl."

The woman's lawyer, Heidi Suter, who is paid by Legal Aid, has been writing letters to the Immigration department for months, trying to get them to take action. She has heard nothing back.

"They've deserted her. Her husband deserted her and Immigration deserted her." said Suter. "If they're not going to stand up to the (sponsorship) agreement why do they have them?"

What's more, Limaliya and her lawyer believe her husband recently went back to India and married a second wife, without going through the Canadian legal system first. According to their religion, Muslim men can have up to four wives. Unlike in Canada, bigamy and/or polygamy is legal for Muslims in India.

"In this country we have to get a divorce before we can get remarried," said Suter.

"It's too sad," said Limaliya, wiping away tears. "Because whatever he told me I did it. But still he is doing this to me."

"She has been totally ignored from what we can see." said Suter.

The Immigration department processes some 60,000 applications every year, from Canadian citizens or permanent residents who want to sponsor a relative or spouse to come to Canada. Government figures obtained by CTV estimate up to 14 per cent of those sponsors abandon their responsiblities and default on the agreement. That's some 8 thousand new immigrants each year, left without the financial support they are entitled to. Often, these people end up being assisted by Canadian taxpayers.

"Why are they (Immigration) not doing anything?" asked Suter. "Are they only interested in people coming here, then once they come here they are on their own?"

CTV discovered the Immigration department doesn't do much, in fact, to make deliquent sponsors pay. The department simply doesn't let them sponsor anyone else. Citizenship and Immigration leaves it up to the provinces to try to go after those who are in default, but that only happens if the person they sponsored goes on provincial social assistance.

"I think where this issue is more prevalent is when one partner is a weaker partner or perceived to be a weaker partner," said Deepak Obhrai, a Conservative MP from Calgary, who hears stories about abandoned wives often.

Obhrai believes Canada should do more to make people understand that what's acceptable in their home country may not be acceptable here. He also believes Canada has a responsibility to educate immigrant women, in particular, about their legal rights.

"People tend to take advantage of the Canadian immigration system," said Obhrai.

CTV put in several requests to speak with the new Immigration Minister Monte Solberg about this, but our calls to his office were not returned.

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