OTTAWA: In what can be called a relief for Indian students facing deportation from Canada, the country’s immigration, refugees and citizenship 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 he had 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.
“This will ensure that these well-intentioned students and graduates can remain in Canada, and ensure that they are not subject to the five-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,” Fraser said.
The statement of the minister comes after a section of Indian students in Canada have been threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters. 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.
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 found to be fraudulent.”
He said the focus of Canada is to identify the people responsible for the fraudulent activity. He urged applicants to ensure that they do proper research and refer to the official website before applying for the study permit.
He said, “We recognise 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.”
Taking to his Twitter handle, 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.”