"Canadian System Fair": S Jaishankar On Students Facing Deportation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the high commission are working to address the matter of 700 Indian students, primarily from Punjab, facing deportation from Canada due to fraudulent admission offers. Mr Jaishankar's statement comes after Punjab's NRI Affairs Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal's appeal for intervention.

These students are at risk of deportation after Canadian authorities discovered that their admission offer letters to Canadian educational institutions were fake. This issue surfaced in March when the students applied for permanent residency in Canada.

Mr Jaishankar said, "From the very start, the MEA and the high commission have taken up their case. The culpable parties should be punished. The latest report is that Canadians accept that it would be unfair if the student has done no wrong, they accept the idea that they have to find a solution to it. I feel the Canadian system is fair in that regard."

In his letter to Mr Jaishankar, Mr Dhaliwal underscored the innocence of these students, indicating that they had been duped by fraudsters. He wrote, "I shall be highly grateful if you again look into the matter personally and take up the matter with concerned agencies including the High Commission of Canada and the government of Canada so that these students can be saved from being deported."

Mr Dhaliwal, who has also requested a meeting with the External Affairs Minister to discuss the matter in person, argued that these students should be granted work permits instead of being deported, considering their visas. He appealed to the citizens of Punjab to verify the authenticity of the college and the travel agent's record before planning to study abroad.