Canadian Immigration Minister: Indian Students Victimized by Fraudsters Allowed to Stay in Canada

Indian students facing deportation from Canada over alleged fake university admission letters will be allowed to stay in the country if investigation shows they have fallen victim to scams by unauthorized consultants, according to Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“International students who are genuine applicants that came to Canada to study and were victimized by fraudsters will be given permission to remain in Canada,” the minister said.

In a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 14, Fraser said the government aims to identify those responsible for the fraudulent activity and not impose penalties on those who may have been victims of fraud, Erudera.com reports.

He announced that the ministry had taken steps to solve this issue by creating a task force to work with IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to identify the victims of fraud.

Individuals found by the task force to have truly fallen victim to fraud will be issued temporary residence permits and will be exempted from a five-year re-entry ban in Canada.

The minister said that authorities believe there are significant aspects of fraud and that certain bad actors who used to take advantage of students will bear the consequences of Canadian law for their behavior.

The announcement comes after hundreds of Indian students have been protesting in Canada, calling on authorities to revoke deportation orders and explaining they have been defrauded by their immigration consultation agency that provided them with false acceptance letters.

“Those genuine applicants who have been going in a period of uncertainty, we understand the toll that this process has taken on your mental health and the challenges that you are dealing with, and we want to provide a solution,” the minister said.

Fraser also said that those who have already been deported from Canada will have access to the same remedies as other international students who remain in the country.

The exact number of deported students is yet to be provided, but the minister mentioned that a few dozen individuals have been affected. He added the number could reach a few hundred after more cases are investigated.

Over 700 Indian students, mostly from Punjab, have been told to leave Canada after their university admission letters were found to be false. The fraud came to light when students submitted applications for permanent residency in Canada.

Most students started their studies in Canada in 2018 and 2019. Many have already completed their education and been working in Canada.

>> Canadian Minister Vows Fair Treatment for Over 700 Students at Risk of Deportation