Indian Students Caught in Admission Fraud in Canada to Get Temporary Resident Permits, Says Minister

Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has said that international students who are not found to be involved in immigration scams will not face deportation.

He also said that during the investigation, initial temporary residence permits will be issued to the students if needed to prevent their deportation.

“I want to make it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act gives me discretion that I believe should be exercised in the current context… I have instructed officers to issue a residence permit,” Sean Fraser said in a government statement. temporary for that individual.

700 Indian students, mostly from Punjab, are facing deportation from Canada after authorities here found fake offers of admission to educational institutions.

The students say they were not aware the documents were forged and blame the alleged fraud on immigration agents in India who helped them apply. Advocates and students have petitioned to stop the deportations.

“IRCC works more closely with Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), provinces and territories, and organizations representing Canadian colleges and universities to better detect and combat fraud and support the integrity of our immigration programs,” said Fraser.

He added that the Canadian government is identifying those responsible for the fraudulent activity and not punishing those who may have been affected by the fraud.

India has repeatedly urged Canadian authorities to show justice and take a humane approach as the students were allegedly victims of some clients. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India had taken up the issue with the Canadian authorities.

If someone misled them (the students), then the guilty parties must be dealt with. “It is not fair to punish a student who studied education in good faith,” he said in New Delhi, adding, “We are in contact with Canada on this issue.”

Fraser also said there were some students who knowingly abetted this fraud and once identified, those students would face deportation.

Other foreign nationals had no intention of pursuing higher education, and used fraudulent acceptance letters to take advantage of the Canadian immigration system. Within this group of individuals, some have been involved in organized crime.

Official data shows that there were more than 800,000 foreign students with valid visas in Canada in 2022. Of these, about 320,000 were from India.

Canada is a popular destination for international students because it is relatively easy to obtain a work permit.