Canada admission scam: Jalandhar agent Brijesh Mishra arrested for immigration fraud, slapped with 5 charges
1 min read 24 Jun 2023, 10:50 AM ISTCanadian authorities have charged an Indian man, Brijesh Mishra, for allegedly issuing fraudulent university acceptance letters to Indian students and committing other immigration-related crimes. Mishra faces five charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
PremiumAn Indian man named Brijesh Mishra has been charged by Canadian authorities for allegedly issuing fraudulent university acceptance letters to Indian students and committing other immigration-related crimes.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) initiated an investigation into Mishra's activities after receiving information about his status in Canada and his involvement in activities related to misrepresentation in counseling.
Mishra is facing five charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, according to CBSA.
As per an Indian Express report, Mishra, who runs an immigration agency in Jalandhar, went missing shortly before the scandal broke.
Canada is a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy to obtain a work permit. Official data show there were more than 800,000 foreign students with active visas in Canada in 2022, including some 320,000 from India.
Earlier this year, over 700 students from India had been served deportation papers for using forged documents to enter Canada in an alleged immigration scheme. Students later took to streets claiming that they were victim of fraud.
Last week, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced a freeze on the planned deportation of dozens of students who entered the country using fraudulent university letters.
He said in a statement, “Many of these international students sincerely came to Canada to pursue their studies at some of our world-class institutions and were duped by bad actors who claimed to be helping them in their immigration application process."
“I want to make it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation. The Immigration Refugee Protection Act offers me discretionary authority which I believe should be exercised in the present context," the statement also added
He also ensure that strict actions would be taken against those who were involved in fraudlent activities.
