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'.
Abbotsford police have released video showing more than 10 people using axes, swords and baseball bats to destroy multiple cars at a home in the city. Video released by the department depicts the incident, which happened around 1 A-M on Saturday.
A 40-year-old man from Kamloops has been charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and use of an imitation firearm, while a 42-year-old man from Vernon faces the same charges, except assault.
On Friday, at 8:06 a.m., police responded to the report of a shooting in a residential driveway located in the 8100-block of 144A Street. Police found an adult male suffering from apparent gun shot wounds and provided medical assistance until Emergency Health Services arrived on scene.
Grand Forks, not far from the Canada-U.S. border, is one of many communities under threat in B.C.'s southern and central Interior. A week of record temperatures followed by rain have combined to create conditions ripe for flooding.
Mounties in Nanaimo are asking for the public's help in identifying two people accused of breaking into a local hair salon. They say police responded to a glass break alarm at Cosmo Prof on April 25th and found its door had been "smashed out."
Falcon called on Premier David Eby and members of his cabinet to denounce the alleged activity as completely unacceptable. Vancouver police arrested a 51-year-old man for selling cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin out of a trailer parked in one of the neighbourhood's main intersections.
