THE Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Friday announced on Friday that charges have been laid against Brijesh Mishra, a citizen of India, for immigration-related offences.
He has been accused of providing fake college admission letters to hundreds of students from the Indian state of Punjab to enter Canada. The letters were found to be fake only last year when students, who were unaware that they had been duped, started applying for permanent residency.
Following information provided to the CBSA concerning Mishra’s status in Canada, as well his alleged involvement in activities related to counseling misrepresentation, CBSA launched an investigation.
Mishra tried to enter Canada and was found to be inadmissible by the CBSA. He was arrested and remained in custody until he was charged.
On June 23, the CBSA Criminal Investigations Section laid charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) based on the evidence collected during the criminal investigation. These include:
* Unauthorized Representation or Advice for Consideration – one count
* Counselling Misrepresentation – one count
* Misrepresentation (Direct or Indirect Misrepresentation) – one count
* Misrepresentation (Communicating False Information) – one count
* Non-Compliance with the Act – one count
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said: “Our government is taking action against those who are responsible for fraud, while protecting those who’ve come here to pursue their studies. I want to thank CBSA’s criminal investigators for their hard work protecting Canadians and those who hope to come here.”
Nina Patel, CBSA Regional Director General, Pacific Region, added: “The charges announced today by the CBSA’s Pacific Region Criminal Investigations Section reflect our commitment to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. Our officers worked diligently to investigate these offences and we will continue to do our best to ensure those who break our laws are held accountable.”
SEAN Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), in response to a query by NDP’s Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Jenny Kwan, had earlier this month reiterated in Parliament that the 700 Indian students, mainly from the state of Punjab, “will have an opportunity to remain in Canada,” and on June 14 he made it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation.
He said that he had already struck a taskforce that will be working closely with the CBSA to identify the victims.
Fraser added that preliminary Temporary Resident Permits will be issued if they are required to prevent an imminent deportation for anyone under review.
Quick Facts:
* Section 126 of the IRPA is designed to protect victims of immigration violations by making it a criminal offence to knowingly counsel a person to directly or indirectly misrepresent or withhold information that could result in an error in the administration of the Act.
* Section 91 of the IRPA is designed to protect victims of immigration violations by making it a criminal offence to provide immigration advice for a fee unless the provider is a lawyer licensed to practice law by a provincial licensing body, or an immigration consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
* Foreign national students seeking to study in Canada require letters of acceptance from recognized post-secondary institutions to qualify for a student permit.
* The Agency is responsible for identifying, investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities that violate the Customs Act and the IRPA.
* Members of the public are encouraged to report suspicious immigration activities to the CBSA by calling 1-888-502-9060.
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