The Government of Canada has decided to hold the deportation of 700 Indian students on the request of Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney who is also the International President of World Punjabi Organisation.
Sahney on Friday said that with the cooperation of the Indian High Commission and his request, the Canadian Government has decided to hold the deportation of the 700 students temporarily.
“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,” Vikram Sahney said.
“The students have done no mistake. They are also victims of fraud,” he added. Sahney also informed that an investigation committee would also be formed to look into the matter.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also 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 700 students.
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.” He further requested their personal intervention in the matter.
“I shall be highly grateful if the matter is looked into personally. The future of these students and of their families is at stake. You are requested to take up the same with the concerned agencies of MEA and Govt of Canada so that these students can be saved from being deported,” read the letter.
Earlier on June 7, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal demanded the Centre to solve the matter of 700 Indian students, mostly Punjabis, who are trapped in immigration fraud in Canada and facing deportation cases.
Dhaliwal in a letter written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, demanded that students should not be deported and given work permits considering their visas.
He also requested Home Minister Amit Shah to cooperate with Punjab Government to punish travel agents who cheated the students. “I have also sought time to meet EAM so that the whole matter can be brought to the attention of the GOI personally,” Dhaliwal added.
He further said that the law should be strict so that incidents of human trafficking do not happen in future. Dhaliwal also appealed to the people of Punjab that before going abroad or sending their children for studies, the details of the college and the record of the travel agent who is placing your case must be checked.
