Canadian immigration minister says ‘no deportation’ of international students

In what can be called a relief for Indian students facing deportation from Canada, the country’s immigration, refugees and citizenship (IRCC) minister, Sean Fraser, has said that international students who are not found to be involved in immigration-related fraud will not face deportation.

Fraser said that he has given instructions to issue a ‘Temporary Resident Permit’ to international students who came to Canada with the intention to study and without knowledge of the use of fraudulent documentation.

“I want to make it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation. The Immigration Refugee Protection Act offers me discretionary authority which I believe should be exercised in the present context,” Sean Fraser said in the official statement.

“Therefore, if the facts of an individual case are clear that an international student came to Canada with a genuine intent to study, and without knowledge of the use of fraudulent documentation, I have provided instructions for officers to issue a Temporary Resident Permit to that individual,” he added.

Sean Fraser said that the decision will ensure that the “well-intentioned students and graduates” can remain in Canada and ensure that they are not placed under a five-year ban from re-entering Canada.

“This will ensure that these well-intentioned students and graduates can remain in Canada, and ensure that they are not subject to the 5-year ban from re-entering Canada that normally follows in cases of misrepresentation. While this process runs its course, preliminary Temporary Resident Permits will be issued if they are required in order to prevent imminent deportation for anyone under review,” Sean Fraser said.

The statement of the Canadian Immigration Minister comes after a section of Indian students in Canada have been threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters and the actual number is much less than the 700 being reported in the media. India has been raising the issue concerning Indian students facing deportation in Canada.

Sean Fraser in the statement said, “There have been recent reports of international students and graduates facing removal from Canada after letters of acceptance submitted as part of their study permit application were determined to be fraudulent.” He stated that the focus of Canada is to identify the people responsible for the fraudulent activity. He urged applicants to ensure that they doing proper research and refer to the official website before applying for the study permit.

He said, “We recognize the immense contributions that international students make to our country, and we are committed to providing a path to Canada that is honest and transparent. Fraser said that Canadian authorities are taking every opportunity to crack down on dishonest and fraudulent consultants who seek to abuse the Canadian immigration system.

“We are taking every opportunity to crack down on dishonest and fraudulent consultants who seek to abuse Canada’s immigration system and take advantage of those seeking to visit, work, study or settle here in Canada,” he said.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Sean Fraser said, “I issued a statement regarding the distressing situation faced by international students with fraudulent acceptance letters. Your well-being remains our priority, and we’re taking action to address this issue.”

Meanwhile, India has been raising the issue concerning Indian students facing deportation in Canada with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also taking up the matter with his Canadian counterpart, sources said and noted that Canadian authorities have been repeatedly urged to be fair since the students were not at fault.

The sources said some Indian students in Canada have been threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters and the actual number is much less than the 700 being reported in the media. (ANI)