Relief to protesting Indian students as Canada postpones deportation proceedings: Report

The Canadian administration has postponed deportation proceeding initiated against Lovepreet Singh bringing some relief to the protesting Indian students in Canada. 

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) had directed Singh to leave the country by June 13 after the authorities found that the offer letter on the basis of which he entered Canada six years ago on a study permit was fake, a report in Hindustan Times said. This triggered the protests. 

Around 700 Indian students in the country are facing deportation threats on grounds of ‘fake college admission offer letters’. Singh is among the 700-odd students who were served deportation notices by the Canadian authorities over fraudulent documents.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday had assured that his government will take steps to evaluate cases.

“We are deeply aware of the cases of international students facing removal orders over fraudulent college acceptance letters. To be clear, our focus is on identifying the culprits, not penalising the victims,” said PM Trudeau said during a Parliament debate.

On Friday, Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that the Canada government has decided to put on hold the deportation of 700 Indian students. 
Sahney, who is the International President of the World Punjabi Organization, said the Canadian government took the decision after his request and with the cooperation of the Indian High Commission.

"We have written to them and we have explained to them that these students have not done any forgery or fraud. They are victims of fraud because some unauthorised agents issued fake admission letters and receipts of payments. Visas were also applied without any checking. Then when the children reached there, the immigration dept also allowed them to enter," Vikram Sahney said.

On Friday, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal wrote letters to Sanjay Kumar Verma, High Commissioner, High Commission of India (Ottawa, Ontario), and Cameron Mackay, High Commission of Canada (Delhi), to solve the issue.

In his letter, Mr. Dhaliwal said: “Your kind attention is invited towards the impending deportation of more than 700 students from Canada due to fake acceptance letters of the Canadian colleges. It is pertinent to mention that these students are innocent and have been cheated by the clique of fraudsters that includes this travel agent, officials in Canadian Embassy in India and other agencies in Canada.”

Students’ protest

Hundreds of Indian students have been protesting in Canada claiming they have been cheated by their immigration consultation agency and that they have been provided with fake documents. The matter came to light in March when these students applied for permanent residency in Canada.

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Earlier this week, EAM S Jaishankar said the Indian government has taken up the issue with the Canadian government and assured that ‘If there were people, who misled them (students), the culpable parties should be acted upon’.

Jaishankar said: “For some time now, there is this case of students, who the Canadians say, did not study in the college in which they should have and when they applied for a work permit, they got into difficulties. From the very start, we have taken up this case and our point is, the students studied in good faith.”

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