According to reports, Indian students in Canada protesting against deportation received a significant reprieve as the deportation proceedings against Lovepreet Singh, which initially sparked the agitation, has been temporarily postponed. The demonstrations originated in Toronto on June 5 after Canadian authorities initiated removal proceedings against Singh, a resident of SAS Nagar's Chatmala village in Punjab.

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) had directed Singh to leave the country by June 13, citing the discovery that the offer letter he had used to enter Canada on a study permit six years ago was counterfeit. Notably, Singh was among the approximately 700 students who received deportation notices from Canadian authorities due to fraudulent documents.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney recently revealed that the Canadian government has decided to halt the deportation of these 700 Indian students. Sahney, who serves as the International President of the World Punjabi Organization, stated that the Canadian government made this decision following his request and with the cooperation of the Indian High Commission.

"We have written to them and we have explained to them that these students have not done any forgery or fraud. They are victims of fraud because some unauthorised agents issued fake admission letters and receipts of payments. Visas were also applied without any checking. Then when the children reached there, the immigration dept also allowed them to enter," Vikram Sahney said.

Approximately 700 students, primarily from Punjab, were on the verge of deportation from Canada due to their involvement with fraudulent documents. These students had fallen victim to Brijesh Mishra, a consultant based in Jalandhar, who had provided them with counterfeit offer letters from reputable colleges and universities.

Despite the scrutiny by embassy officials, the students were granted study permits as the forgery remained undetected. It was only upon their arrival at the respective educational institutions that they discovered their absence from the registered student lists. According to the students, Mishra offered various excuses, urging them to enroll in different colleges or wait for the next semester.

The realization that their documents were falsified occurred when these students applied for permanent residency in Canada in 2016. Following an extensive investigation by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), Mishra's firm, Education and Migration Services, became the focal point. Consequently, all students who had utilized Mishra's services between 2016 and 2020 received deportation notices.

Image source: The Times of India