The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has identified 300 cases where Indian students, who came to Canada between 2017 and 2020, allegedly used fraudulent documents to secure study permits. According to a Free Press Journal report, CBSA, based on tip-offs from the public, initially reviewed 2000 cases, where fraudulent documents may have been used to obtain a student visa, and narrowed it down to ‘300 cases of concern’.
Responding to a letter sent by former students to Canadian public safety minister Marco E L Mendicino, CBSA Intelligence and Enforcement Vice President McCorie said, “ In 2018, the CBSA was investigating organized crime groups and became aware of issues with students not attending school and becoming involved in criminality and gangs. This led to new lines of inquiry which ultimately, based on tips received from the public in 2020, led us to identify over 2000 cases where fraudulent documents may have been used to obtain a student visa. In collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), we reviewed those cases and we narrowed them down to approximately 300 cases of concern.”
McCorie revealed that these 300 cases of concern varied from genuine students to those who were allegedly involved in the scheme, to those who have allegedly taken advantage of the system to enter Canada.
CBSA treated cases individually based on facts, which he highlighted in the letter.
The reply by McCorie came after the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser on June 14 announced a task force comprising senior officials from CBSA, and IRCC to handle the reports of fake documentation being used to avail study permits.
It is not new that CBSA has taken action against unjust ways to secure study permits in Canada. The agency’s spokesperson Maria Ladoucer earlier in March 2023 revealed that CBSA is dealing with cases where unsubsidised private colleges have urged foreigners to take admission to their colleges, post which there were promised post-graduation work permits
Ladoucer said that CBSA unveiled a scheme whereby unsubsidised private college programs were leading foreign students to a PGWP (for $25,000) with the sole aim of obtaining a permanent residence. Eleven colleges were incriminated in the fraud, she stated.
The cases of fraud led to a change in Canada’s policy towards work visas. CBSA modified the eligibility criteria for the work permit from September 1, 2023. Under the new rules, institutions will have to be authorized by a provincial or territorial government before receiving international students.
Comments
0 comment