Some Indian students in Canada receive stay orders on deportation: Govt sources

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 11

Some Indian students in Canada have recently received stay orders on their deportation notices, even as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the need for fair treatment of the students, said government sources here.

Maintaining that the actual number of Indian students in Canada threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters is much less than the 700 being reported in the media, they said the government has been taking up the matter with Canadian authorities, both here and in Ottawa.

New Delhi has repeatedly urged the Canadian authorities to be fair and take a humanitarian approach since the students were not at fault. It was also pointed out that there were gaps in the Canadian system and a lack of diligence, owing to which the students were granted visas and also allowed to enter Canada. 

Most of these students were not freshers but had gone to Canada between 2017 and 2019. After completing their studies, some of them obtained work permits, while others continue to study in Canada. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took up the matter with his Canadian counterpart. MEA’s Secretary (East) also raised it during his visit to Canada in April this year and the Indian Consulate in Toronto, where most of the students are based, have met many of them, said the sources.

Since then, Canadian parliamentarians across political parties have spoken in support of the students. Immigration Minister Sean Frasier has indicated that Canada is actively pursuing a solution for international students who are facing uncertainty. “It is welcome that the consistent efforts by the government has been instrumental in the Canadian Government adopting a humane approach and taking on board the perspective of the students,’’ said the sources.

Earlier, there were reports that Canada decided to hold the “deportation of 700 Indian students at the request of Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney’’ who is also the International President of World Punjabi Organisation.

“We have written to them and we have explained to them that these students have not done any forgery or fraud. They are victims of fraud because some unauthorised agents issued fake admission letters and receipts of payments. Visas were also applied without any checking. Then when the children reached there, the immigration department also allowed them to enter,” said Sahney in a statement to ANI.

Sahney also informed that an investigation committee would also be formed to look into the matter.

Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Friday wrote letters to the Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and Canada High Commissioner to India Cameron Mackay to resolve the issue of students facing deportation.

According to the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department, in his letter, Dhaliwal said, “Your kind attention is invited towards the impending deportation of more than 700 students from Canada due to fake acceptance letters of the Canadian Colleges. It is pertinent to mention that these students are innocent and have been cheated by the clique of fraudsters that includes this travel agent, officials in the Canadian Embassy in India and other agencies in Canada.”

Earlier on June 7, Dhaliwal requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to join forces with the Punjab Government to punish travel agents who cheated the students while appealing to the wards of prospective students to carefully check the details of the college and the record of the travel agent handling the case.