Will evaluate each case: Trudeau on Indian students facing deportation
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Jun, 2023 11:02 AM
New Delhi/Ottawa, June 8 (IANS) Assuring the 700 Indian students who are facing deportation from Canada over fake admission letters, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they will evaluate each case and the victims of fraud will have an opportunity to demonstrate their situation and present evidence to support their case.
The remarks came as hundreds of Indian students, mostly from Punjab, have been taking on to the streets in Canada saying they were cheated by their immigration consultation agency in India that provided them fake documents, of which they were unaware of.
"We are deeply aware of 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," Trudeau said during a parliament debate on Wednesday.
"Victims of fraud will have an opportunity to demonstrate their situation and present evidence to support their case," the Prime Minister said, while responding to Sikh-origin NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's concerns on the state of defrauded students, who are set to be deported his month.
"We recognise the immense contributions international students bring to our country, and we remain committed to supporting victims of fraud as we evaluate each case," Trudeau said.
Singh's NDP is reportedly preparing to introduce a unanimous consent motion in Parliament to cancel removal orders to support these students while also facilitating a pathway to permanent residency for them.
It will also assist students who could face deportation due to bogus enrollment offers.
"So my question is... will the Prime Minister stay the deportation of all these students that are impacted and provide a pathway to permanent residency for these students?" Singh asked Trudeau, presenting the case of victims.
According to the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA), more than 700 Indian students are reportedly facing deportation after finding that their educational institution's admission offer letters were fake.
Most of these students had come to the country to study in 2018 and 2019.
The fraud was discovered when the students applied for permanent residency in Canada.
Brijesh Mishra, a Jalandhar-based agent, was responsible for providing fake admission letters, charging students thousands of dollars.
He charged more than Rs 16 lakh per student in addition to admission fees claiming to get them to prestigious colleges.
Meanwhile, students have been continuing with their sit-ins since May 29 at Airport Road of Mississauga, outside the CBSA's head office, holding banners saying, 'Unite against deportation', 'Stop deportation' and 'We want justice'.
Doctors trained abroad arrive in the country hoping to practise but are often stymied by the costly licensing process, and they leave for countries where it is easier to get licensed. Some provinces, including Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, are working to streamline their procedures as they welcome Ukrainian doctors fleeing the war in their country.
Rain in southwest B.C. also dampened the two wildfires east and southwest of Hope, including the five-square kilometre blaze that affected eastbound traffic on Highway 1, and the BC Wildfire Service says both fires are now ranked as "being held," meaning neither is likely to spread.
Burnaby RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 65-year-old Rajesh Verma. Rajesh was last seen by family in the 8800-block of Armstrong Avenue at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, September 15, 2022.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and their spouses are leading the delegation, which departs Friday, though it's unclear whether all guests will travel on the same aircraft. The group will include former governors general Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston as well as former prime ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.
A notice of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court this week by Sea to Sky Gondola argues an alarm system designed and installed by Unified Systems Inc. failed when an unidentified person cut the cable for the second time in September 2020.
The BC Coroners Service recorded 192 drug-related deaths in July, a 31 per cent increase from June and equating to about 6.2 deaths per day. The new figures show the death rate across the province this year is 42 per 100,000, twice what it was in April 2016 when the public-health emergency was declared.
