Ottawa: Assuring 700 Indian students facing deportation from Canada due to fake admission letters, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government will evaluate each case and give victims of the fraud an opportunity to present evidence that they are innocent to defend themselves.
The remarks come at a time when hundreds of Indian students, most of them from Punjab, are taking to the streets in Canada.
They are saying that they have been duped by the agent in India. It is not their fault. “I am aware of this matter,” Trudeau said during a parliamentary debate. Our focus is to identify the culprits instead of punishing the victims. Responding to concerns over the plight of the aggrieved students who were deported by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh of Sikh origin, the Prime Minister said, “Victims of fraud will have the opportunity to present their side and evidence in support of it.
“We respect the immense contribution made by international students to our country and we are committed to helping victims of fraud,” Trudeau said adding that the federal government will evaluate each case.
The students have been staging a sit-in outside the CBSA headquarters on Airport Road in Mississauga since May 29, holding banners that read “Unite against deportation”, “Stop deportation” and “We want justice”.