Canada’s immigration, refugees and citizenship (IRCC) minister Sean Fraser has said that Indian students who were not found to be involved in immigration-related fraud will not face deportation.
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.”
Temporary Resident Permit
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.
Students who will be protected
The Immigration Refugee Protection Act offers me discretionary authority which I believe should be exercised in the present context.
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 said.
No ban from re-entering
Preliminary Temporary Resident Permits will be issued if they are required in order to prevent imminent deportation for anyone under review.
The decision will ensure that the “well-intentioned students and graduates” can remain in Canada and that they are not placed under a five-year ban from re-entering the country.
The ban is what follows in cases of misrepresentation.
India representing students
The development should come as a relief for Indian students in Canada who have been facing deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters.
India has been raising the issue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also taking up the matter with his Canadian counterpart.
He urged Canadian authorities to be fair since the students were not at fault.
Fraser urged applicants to ensure that they do proper research and refer to the official website before applying for the study permit.
Punishing fraudulent consultants
He also assured that Canadian authorities will 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.
