Jaishankar responds to 700 Indian students facing risk of deportation from Canada

Hundreds of Indian students have been on a sit-in protest in Canada’s Brampton city since last week against possible deportation due to fake admission letters.

At least 700 students, mostly from India’s northwestern Punjab state, fear being kicked out of the country after the Canadian authorities found their "admission offer letters" to educational institutions were fake.

The matter came to light in March when these students applied for permanent residency in Canada.

Since May 29, several Indian students have been on an "indefinite sit-in" protest at Airport Road of Mississauga, outside the head office of the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA).

Responding to the situation, Indian foreign minister Jaishnkar hoped that the Canadian authorities find a solution, arguing that the protesting students were done wrong by a fake travel agent.

Students tricked by travel agency

According to a report by the Hindustan Times newspaper, these Indian students arrived in Canada between 2017 and 2019 and a few in 2020.

The students had received notices from the CBSA in 2021 and last year after the agency found the letters of offer of admission to a Canadian higher education institution to be "fake".

These fake documents were issued by a Jalandhar-based travel agent who had charged more than Rs 1.6 million ($19,300) per student, PTI reported.

Canada deportation fear: Indian students protest after immigration fraud comes to light

In the wake of the crisis, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal urged India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to address the issue.

"These (700) students are innocent and have been cheated by the clique of fraudsters. I shall be highly grateful if you again look into the matter personally and take up the matter with concerned agencies including the High Commission of Canada and the government of Canada so that these students can be saved from being deported," reads a letter from Dhaliwal to Jaishankar.

On Thursday, Jaishankar responded to the crisis during a press briefing. He said, "Unfair to punish the students who acted in good faith. It is the culpable who should be held accountable."

"Canadians also accept that it would be unfair if a student has done no wrong. If a student has done no wrong then they accept that they have to find a solution. I hope the Canadian system is fairinthisregard."

Canadian ministers show support

On Tuesday, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown joined the protesting students and extended his support to them.

I have joined Gurpartap Singh Toor (Brampton Councillor) tonight at the international student protest site to show our support for students. International students have been part of Canada’s success story," the mayor said while interacting with the protesting students.

"Students shouldn’t be the victims of fraudulent immigrant consultants many years after their journey to Canada," Brown added.

Apart from Brown, several Canadian leaders and ministers have extended their support to the Indian students by visiting the protest site.

(With inputs from agencies)

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