Chandigarh, Jun 24 (IANS): Indian immigration agent Brijesh Mishra, who is accused of cheating students of tens of thousands of dollars by issuing fake college admission letters to procure Canadian visas, has been arrested in the North American nation and now facing criminal charges.
A majority of students, who have been facing deportation from Canada, had filed visa applications 2018 onwards till 2022 through Jalandhar-based Education Migration Services headed by Mishra.
They had gone to Canada on a study visa but the fraud came to light after they applied for permanent residency (PR) recently.
On Friday, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) charged Mishra, an India citizen, for immigration-related offences.
Following information provided to the CBSA concerning Mishra's status in Canada, as well his alleged involvement in activities related to counseling misrepresentation, the agency launched an investigation, the CBSA said a statement.
Mishra had been absconding since the fraud broke. Previously he was arrested in 2013 for forging documents to send students abroad through Easy Way Immigration agency.
"Our government is taking action against those who are responsible for fraud, while protecting those who've come here to pursue their studies. I want to thank CBSA's criminal investigators for their hard work protecting Canadians and those who hope to come here," Canadian Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino said in a statement.
"The charges announced today (Friday) by the CBSA's Pacific Region Criminal Investigations Section reflect our commitment to maintaining the integrity of Canada's immigration system. Our officers worked diligently to investigate these offences and we will continue to do our best to ensure those who break our laws are held accountable," added CBSA's Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Nina Patel.
Around 700 students were facing deportation after their admission letters to education institutions in Canada were found to be "not genuine".
All these students had applied for study visas through Mishra.
Last week in a major relief for 700 Indian students facing deportation threat, Canada Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced: "We are working out a process, students can stay in Canada."
He has said the "focus is on identifying those who are responsible for the fraudulent activity and not on penalising those who may have been affected by fraud".
In a humanitarian gesture, he has announced that the genuine students would be issued a Temporary Resident Permit.
"We recognise the immense contributions that international students make to our country, and we are committed to providing a path to Canada that is honest and transparent," Fraser said in a statement.
Asking the students to be alert and not to become the victims of fraud, he has said all applicants must continue to ensure that, before applying for a study permit, they do their research, have an acceptance letter from a Designated Learning Institutions (DLI), and refer to the official website to get information about the programmes.
"If you believe you have been deceived by an unscrupulous consultant, we urge you to come forward and report fraud," he has added.
The Immigration Minister also asked officials of the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which has been working even closer with Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), provinces and territories, and organisations representing Canada's colleges and universities to better detect and combat fraud, and uphold the integrity of the immigration programmes.