"Unfair to punish student...culpable parties should be acted against": Jaishankar on Indian students facing deportation from Canada
Jun 08, 2023
New Delhi [India], June 8 : Amid reports of hundreds of Indian students in Canada facing deportation over "fake admission offer letters", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said it is unfair to punish a student who undertook their education in good faith and action should be taken against the culpable parties who misled them.
Responding to questions during a press conference on nine years of the Modi government, Jaishankar said India will continue to press the case of Indian students.
"For some time now, there is this case of students, who the Canadians say, did not study in the college in which they should have and when they applied for a work permit, they got into difficulties. From the very start, we have taken up this case and our point is, the students studied in good faith. If there were people who misled them, the culpable parties should be acted against. It is unfair to punish a student who undertook their education in good faith," he said.
"Yesterday the Canadian Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Commons there and the Minister also tweeted something and they have also been talking to our High Commission out there. I think the Canadians also accept that it would be unfair if a student has done no wrong...We will continue to press," he added.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal had raised with the Centre the issue of 700 Indian students, mostly Punjabis, facing deportation.
Dhaliwal in a letter written to Jaishankar demanded that the students should not be deported and given work permits.
He also requested Home Minister Amit Shah for action against agents who cheated the students.
"I have also sought time to meet EAM so that the whole matter can be brought to the attention of the GOI personally," Dhaliwal said.
