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'.
Police quickly arrived in the area and located the two suspects who fled in separate directions. A foot pursuit ensued and one of the suspects allegedly threw a loaded firearm into a bush as he was running from police. The suspect was taken into police custody and the firearm was located.
Investigators say 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and 76-year-old Joanne De Jong were found dead in a home on Monday. A statement from police says it's unclear if the killings were random or targeted.
He was last seen walking away from Richmond General Hospital, in the 7000 block of Westminster Highway, at approximately 7:45 p.m. on May 9th. Pushparj was reportedly very intoxicated when last seen, and family members are growing concerned for his well-being.
For now, the portal is designed to accept large-scale goods and services like housing, gift cards for high-priority items, transportation and jobs. Loblaws, Canadian Tire, Metro and Couche-Tard have already donated the equivalent of more than $400,000.
Three Canadian charter flights to bring Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion will depart Poland in the coming weeks. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the flights will be available to some of the more than 90,000 Ukrainians approved for emergency travel to Canada.
VPD investigations include several swarmings, robberies, and reports of violent rituals meant to demean and humiliate peers. Since spring break, VPD officers have also encountered a concerning number of youth with imitation guns, bear spray, brass knuckles, and machetes near schools and in the community.
