Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser issued a statement today reiterating that international students found to be innocent of the fraudulent acceptance letters be will not be deported from Canada.
“I want to make it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation,” Fraser stated. “The Immigration Refugee Protection Act offers me discretionary authority which I believe should be exercised in the present context. Therefore, if the facts of an individual case are clear that an international student came to Canada with a genuine intent to study, and without knowledge of the use of fraudulent documentation, I have provided instructions for officers to issue a Temporary Resident Permit to that individual. This will ensure that these well-intentioned students and graduates can remain in Canada, and ensure that they are not subject to the 5-year ban from re-entering Canada that normally follows in cases of misrepresentation. While this process runs its course, preliminary Temporary Resident Permits will be issued if they are required in order to prevent an imminent deportation for anyone under review.”
The minister went on to say that while “many of these international students sincerely came to Canada to pursue their studies” and “were duped by bad actors”, others “had no intent of pursuing higher education. They “used fraudulent acceptance letters to take advantage of Canada’s immigration system” and “some have been involved in organized crime”, the statement read.
He assured those who were defrauded that “their well-being is of paramount importance”, adding that a taskforce of immigration officials will work closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to identify the victims of fraud.
Fraser also says measures are being taken to better detect and combat fraud.
“Further to my instructions to officials, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been working even closer with Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), provinces and territories, and organizations representing Canada’s colleges and universities to better detect and combat fraud, and uphold the integrity of our immigration programs. We are taking every opportunity to crack down on dishonest and fraudulent consultants who seek to abuse Canada’s immigration system and take advantage of those seeking to visit, work, study or settle here in Canada,” Fraser said.
He concluded his statement urging international students who believe they have been deceived “to come forward and report fraud”.
