Canada ‘fake college offer letter’ fraud:  Families feel the pinch, stress high as kids face deportation

Fortunately, on Saturday, the Canadian government temporarily halted the deportation orders, giving hope to Lovepreet and his family.

“For the past six years we haven’t been able to sleep properly ever since our son left for Canada in 2017,” said Sarabjit Kaur, Lovepreet’s mother, while speaking to The Indian Express from Chatamla village in Punjab’s Ropar district. She expressed her distress, stating that her son is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Lovepreet has spent six years in Canada, enduring a significant financial burden, and now faces deportation. She said if he is deported, his career and life will be ruined as it will indicate a black mark against him for no fault of his. His chances of going to other countries will be at stake.

Also, starting afresh in India after being deported won’t be easy, she added. Joga Singh, a small farmer and Lovepreet’s father, fears that his son’s dream of settling in Canada will be shattered if he is deported. He believes that the government should not only punish the fraudulent agents responsible for this mess but also investigate the role of Canadian colleges that provide fake offer letters to students from Punjab.

Vinay Sally, another student from Batala (Gurdaspur district), is also sailing in the same boat. He aspired to pursue higher studies in Canada after completing his B.Pharm in Punjab. However, he too received a fake offer letter from Jalandhar-based agent Brijesh Mishra’s firm, Education Migration Services. Sally’s dreams were shattered when he realised that the seat he was promised was not available at the intended college.

The agent only refunded Rs 3 lakh out of Rs 12 lakh paid to him, leaving Sally in a debt of $20,000 as he had to arrange for his fee. Despite his struggles, Sally managed to complete his studies in “digital marketing”, but he still aspires to pursue a course in pharmacy to work in his field. However, he is burdened with financial obligations due to his deportation case’s huge expense. Ajmer Singh, father of Balbir Singh from Amritsar, faced a similar situation when his son went to Canada in 2018. Ajmer Singh had to sell a portion of his land to fund his son’s education.

The news of deportation has devastated their family. These are not isolated cases. Hundreds of parents in Punjab are suffering from depression and stress upon learning that their wards, along with 700 other students, are facing deportation from Canada due to the fraudulent actions of their travel agents. Most of these parents are knee-deep in debt.  Today they are just praying for justice for their children and punishment for those responsible for their predicament.

After the Canadian government halted the deportation orders for the time being, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal assured that the government will make every effort to stop the deportation of these students from Canada and provide them free legal assistance as well.

The minister has already reached out to the Indian and Canadian officials to resolve these students’ issues. After the deportation issue came to the fore in March, the Jalandhar police had filed an FIR against Brijesh Mishra and his associates.

A look out circular (LOC) was issued against Mishra on March 21. Mishra, who had previously been arrested for immigration fraud, managed to open a new company and continue his fraudulent activities. The police have charged Mishra and his accomplices under various sections of the IPC.

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The families bearing the brunt of this fraud are urging authorities on both sides to deliver justice and bring the culprits to book. They say that their children possess legal documents to prove their qualifications, required IELTS scores, and fee payment receipts. Failure to punish the agents responsible for this mess could put thousands of other students from Punjab in similar situations in the future, they add. The Punjab-origin MPs in Canada have also come forward to assist the embattled students.