Canada to deport 700 Indian students over fake visa documents
Over 700 students from India are currently facing deportation from Canada after the North American nation's authorities found their "admission offer letters" to academic institutions to be fake. They reportedly received the official deportation letters from the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) recently. According to the news agency IANS, these students went to Canada on a study visa during 2018-2019.
Why does this story matter?
Canada remains one of the top destinations for Indian students because of the high standard of education, ease of finding work, lower costs, and post-graduation immigration opportunities. According to the Canadian government, international students contribute more than $15.3 billion to the Canadian economy annually. In 2022 alone, the country reportedly processed 4.8 million visa applications.
Jalandhar-based agency that charged Rs. 16-20 lakh for fake visas
As per reports, nearly 700 students applied for study visas through Education Migration Services, based in Punjab's Jalandhar. Headed by Brijesh Mishra, the agency reportedly charged each student between Rs. 16 to Rs. 20 lakh for all expenditures, including admission costs to Toronto's premier institute, Humber College. The charge however did not include security deposits and air tickets.
Details on how CBSA caught the fake admission offer letters
The fraud reportedly came to light when the students applied for Canadian Permanent Residency (PR), and their admission offer letters came under inspection. Under this detailed scrutiny, the CBSA reviewed the paperwork based on which the visas were awarded to these Indian students. It was during this process that the authorities discovered that the admission offer letters weren't authentic.
Here's what a student said on admission offer letter fraud
One of the 700 students, who received her diploma from a public college in Canada, told The Indian Express that when she applied for a visa, she was given an offer letter from a private college instead. However, she insisted on attending a public (government) college, for which the agent allegedly returned her fee and facilitated her admission to a different college.
CBSA's stand on this matter
At the moment, CBSA is reportedly refusing to accept the "victims'" claims of innocence because there is no evidence that Mishra arranged and prepared all documents. The country's security agency is also refusing to accept the failure of the Canadian airport and visa authorities, which issued visas and granted entry without verifying the authenticity of the applicants' documents.
226,450 Indian students went to study in Canada in 2022
According to statistics published by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada welcomed a total of 226,450 Indian students in 2022. The country reportedly set an immigration record by allowing 551,405 international students from 184 countries to enter Canada last year. Meanwhile, China and the Philippines closely followed India with 52,165 and 23,380 students, respectively.
