Canadian Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has come out in support of Indian students facing deportation from Canada and put the blame on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for it.

Urging the government to stop the deportations, he urged the government to “prosecute fraudsters” and “let honest students stay and work and contribute to Canada.” “The Trudeau government failed to protect international students from crooked scam artists. Now, Trudeau is punishing the victims by deporting the students–even those that acted in good faith & have been working & paying taxes here for years. Prosecute fraudsters. Stop the deportations. Let honest students stay, work & contribute to Canada,” Poilievre, the leader of the official Opposition in Canada wrote on Twitter.

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Poilievre also posted pictures from his meeting with families of students facing deportation.

A section of Indian students in Canada have been threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters and the actual number is much less than the 700 being reported in the media.

India has been raising the issue concerning Indian students facing deportation in Canada with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also taking up the matter with his Canadian counterpart, sources said and noted that Canadian authorities have been repeatedly urged to be fair since the students were not fault.

Jaishankar on June 8 while addressing a press conference in New Delhi had said that India will continue to press the case of Indian students stating that 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.

“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,” Jaishankar told reporters.

According to sources, some Indian students in Canada have been threatened with deportation for allegedly submitting fraudulent admission letters and while according to some media reports some 700 students are protesting their deportation, the actual number is much less than that being reported.

Most of these students had gone to Canada during 2017-2019. After completing their studies, some of them obtained work permits, while others continue to study in Canada.

Sources said it was also pointed out that there were gaps in the Canadian system and a lack of diligence, owing to which the students were granted visas and also allowed to enter Canada.

Since then, Canadian parliamentarians across political parties have spoken in support of the students, sources added.

Immigration Minister Sean Frasier has indicated that Canada is actively pursuing a solution for international students who are facing uncertainty. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the need for fair treatment of students.

Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also on Friday wrote letters to the Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and Canada High Commissioner to India Cameron Mackay to solve the issue of 700 students who are facing deportation from Canada.