Indian Students Protest In Canada As They Face Deportation Threat

Around 700 Indian students in Canada have hit the streets as they risk being deported because their admission letters were discovered to be forgeries.

The Indian students - mainly from the state of Punjab - said that they obtained visas based on fraudulent admission letters to Canadian universities.

Since 29 May, hundreds of Indian students have been sitting outside the offices of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in Mississauga in the province of Ontario, and holding banners reading messages such as: "Unite against deportation", "Stop deportation" and "We want justice".

According to media reports, most of these students came to Canada in 2018, where they were told by a recruiter, Brajesh Mishra, to wait a year until their college course had ended and they could be moved to other colleges. Mishra allegedly issued them the forged letters and the students obtained visas for Canada based on them.

After this, the students were admitted to such reputed colleges as Humber College, Lambton College, St Claire, and Seneca College all in Toronto, the capital and largest city of Ontario. The students then finished their education and got a work permit.

Now, as many of them are applying for permanent residency, the forged documents have come to the attention of the CBSA.

Indian media interviewed several of the affected students who explained that they had passed all their required exams, stayed in Canada for five years, studied in college, and got a work permit.

The students - many of whom are from low-income families - added that they or their families have taken out loans for their education and they fear that if they fail to repay the loans in time, the lenders will force their families to sell their home in India.

“Why did Canadian officials never detect such a big fraud?” one student, Balbir Singh, asked.

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On Thursday, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), said that the Indian high commission is working to solve the problem affecting these students who are facing deportation from Canada because of fraudulent admission offers.

"From the very start, the EAM and the high commission have taken up their case. The culpable parties should be punished. The latest report is that Canadians accept that it would be unfair if the student has done no wrong, they accept the idea that they have to find a solution to it. I feel the Canadian system is fair in that regard," Jaishankar said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in parliament on Wednesday that the government would evaluate each case and the victims of fraud will have an opportunity to defend their situation and present evidence to support their case.

Jashandeep Brar, founder of Canada-based non-governmental organisation, Team We Care, was helping the students and is optimistic that the students will get justice.

Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said the government was investigating the immigration fraud.

Many Canadian Parliamentarians supported the government and the leader of the Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, also spoke out against the students’ deportation in the Parliament.

Indian Students in Canada Face Deportation After Falling Victim to Fraud