Victims are not responsible for fraud…: Canada postpones deportation proceedings against Indian students

In a major respite to the protesting Indian students in Canada, the deportation proceedings against Lovepreet Singh, which triggered the ongoing agitation, have been postponed until further notice. The protests, which commenced in Toronto on June 5, were ignited after Canadian authorities initiated removal proceedings against Lovepreet Singh, a native of Chatmala village in Punjab's SAS Nagar.

Singh, along with approximately 700 other students, received deportation notices from Canadian authorities due to fraudulent documents. The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) had directed Singh to leave the country by June 13 after discovering that the offer letter he used to enter Canada on a study permit six years ago was forged.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney announced on Friday that the Canadian government has decided to temporarily halt the deportation of all 700 Indian students. Sahney, who is also the International President of the World Punjabi Organization, stated that the decision was made following his request and with the cooperation of the Indian High Commission.

"We have written to them and explained that these students are not responsible for any forgery or fraud. They have fallen victim to fraud committed by unauthorized agents who issued fake admission letters and receipts of payment. Visas were granted without proper verification. It was only upon their arrival in Canada that the students realized they had not been registered in the promised institutions," said Vikram Sahney.

The students, predominantly from Punjab, were deceived by Brijesh Mishra, a consultant based in Jalandhar. Mishra had provided them with fake offer letters from renowned colleges and universities, enabling them to obtain study permits.

The students only discovered the forgery when they tried to apply for permanent residency as even the embassy officials couldn't detect the forgery. The CBSA conducted a thorough investigation and identified Mishra's firm, Education and Migration Services, as the source of the fraudulent documents. As a result, all students who had sought Mishra's assistance between 2016 and 2020 received deportation notices.