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Focus is on identifying culprits, not penalising victims, says Canada PM on Indian students facing deportation
Speaking in Parliament, Trudeau said, “We are deeply aware of cases on international students facing removal orders over fraudulent college acceptance letters.
Even as a committee of the House of Commons passed a motion on Wednesday in favour of former international students from India facing potential deportation from Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that his Government was focused on “identifying the culprits, not penalizing the victims.”
Speaking in Parliament, Trudeau said, “We are deeply aware of cases on international students facing removal orders over fraudulent college acceptance letters.
Our focus is in identifying the culprits, not penalising the victims.”
He added, “Victims of fraud will have an opportunity to demonstrate their situation and present evidence to support their case. We remain committed to supporting victims of fraud as we evaluate each case.”
The House Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration passed a motion on Wednesday evening calling for the deportation of the students to be stayed while also providing them with a pathway to permanent residency.
Earlier in the day, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser adopted a similar lenient line towards the ex-students, as he tweeted, “Innocent victims will be given every opportunity to have their case considered fairly. Due to the complexity of the situation, we remain committed to working with CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) to determine a fair outcome.”
He added his department was “actively pursuing a solution” for those impacted and were “facing uncertainty due to having been admitted to Canada with fraudulent college admission letters.”
These students arrived in Canada between 2017 and 2019, and in rare instances, in 2020. They started receiving notices from the CBSA in 2021 and last year, for a hearing as the agency concluded the letter of offer of admission to a Canadian higher education institution, which formed the basis of their study permits, was “fake.”
The majority of the affected students were represented by the agent Brijesh Mishra of the Jalandhar-based counselling firm EMSA Education and Migration Services Australia.
The ex-students said they were being victimized for no fault of theirs. In an open letter under the banner of Victim Students released in March, they said, “We are desperate for justice; we are victims of fraud; we have no criminal level but facing a removal order.”
Fraser also tweeted, “Those who have taken advantage of people genuinely hoping to study here will face consequences for their actions.”
Two of the former students have received removal orders, including Lovepreet Singh, originally from Mohali. Several such ex-students are stating an ongoing protest in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA, which they have said will continue till there are cases are resolved and the order for Lovepreet Singh’s deportation rescinded.
