Canada Temporarily Halts Deportation of Indian Students

Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney confirmed that the deportation was put on hold.

Students protesting deportation in Ontario, Canada.

(Photo: Twitter/@NSNPeel)

The Canadian government has decided to put on hold the deportation of approximately 700 Indian students, mostly from Punjab, at the request of Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney, the current International President of the World Punjabi Organisation.

Sahney said that with the cooperation of the Indian High Commission and the request that he submitted, the Government of Canada has decided to hold the deportation of the 700 students temporarily in a statement on Friday, June 9.

"We have written to them and explained 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 dept also allowed them to enter."

Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney

He further emphasised that it was not the students' mistake and that they were victims of fraud.

Sahney also assured that an investigation committee would be formed to investigate the matter and identify the culprits.

Hundreds of Indian students took to the streets to protest in Canada in the light of possible deportation after alleged admission to Canadian universities and colleges on “fake offer letters.” The students claim that travel agents in India have caused this racket.

Indian NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal demanded the Indian Government’s intervention in this issue in a letter to the Minister of External Affairs.

An estimated 700 Indian students have received deportation letters from the CBSA recently after their admission offer letters to educational institutions were found to be fake. 

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assured that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the High Commission are working to address the issue of 700 Indian students facing deportation from Canada due to fake admission offers.

He also stated that the Canadian system was fair and that the culpable parties responsible for producing fraudulent documents must be punished.

"From the very start, the MEA and the high commission have taken up their case. The culpable parties should be punished. The latest report is that Canadians accept that it would be unfair if the student has done no wrong, they accept the idea that they have to find a solution to it. I feel the Canadian system is fair in that regard."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that they were "deeply aware" of the situation of international students and that the Canadian government is looking into the matter.