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'.
B-C Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau says it's time youth up to the age of 18 were allowed to ride free on transit. A statement from Furstenau says the B-C Green caucus wants the New Democrat government to expand free transit to youth.
A new text alert system to warn about batches of toxic drugs is being implemented in the Vancouver Coastal Health authority. Those who want the alerts can text JOIN to the number 2-5-3-7-8-7, while those who were already signed up on Radar will be added automatically.
Almost 700 firefighters from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are set to arrive in Canada over the next two weeks to help with the unusually severe start to the wildfire season. There are 214 fires burning and 93 of them are out of control, up from 87 out-of-control fires Thursday.
The B.C. board says Vancouver's housing market is showing signs of heating up heading into the summer, as prices increased for the sixth consecutive month. The board says sales for the month totalled 3,411, which was 1.4 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average of 3,458.
After heated debates and decision reversals, most of Stanley Park’s temporary bike lanes set up during the pandemic have now been removed. It means cars now have two lanes along the main Park Drive and those cycling through will either have to share the road or go to the seawall for a slower pace.
Police in New Westminster say a woman is recovering in hospital after being pulled from the Fraser River. They say officers received a report around noon on Tuesday that woman who appeared to be in distress could be seen from the pier in the fast-moving water.
