Kenyans studying in Canada risk deportation as the government continues a crackdown on students with fake acceptance letters.
The Canadian government gave a warning to individuals who were studying at different institutions with falsified calling letters, some produced by unscrupulous agents.
The alarm was raised after 700 Indian students were issued deportation orders from the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) after it emerged that their college admission letters were fraudulent.
However, after an uproar by different humanitarian organisations, Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on May 27, announced that the government would help those who had fallen victim to the scheme.
The minister noted that the goal was to identify the culprits and not the victims of fraud adding that the students would get a chance to demonstrate their innocence.
“Our priority is to find the perpetrators, not to punish the victims. Victims of fraud will have the opportunity to present evidence and demonstrate their situation.
“We recognise the enormous contributions that international students make to our country and will continue to assist victims of fraud as we evaluate each case,” he stated.
Further, the minister stated that the Immigration Department was working closely with learning institutions to verify if acceptance letters were valid at the time of application.
He also revealed that agents were promising students admission to prestigious institutions and when they were turned away by the institutions, they were forced to enrol in less prestigious colleges.
There were over 13,000 Kenyans in Canada who moved for work or study according to a March 2023 report by the Canadian Visa.
Earlier on Thursday, May 18, Canadian Minister Sean Fraser and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua agreed on conditions Kenyans had to meet to be eligible to work in Canada.
The conditions included meeting the requirements of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which will be issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to employers who will hire Kenyan workers.
"Canada is proud to be a top destination for global talent and an increasingly popular destination for Kenyan nationals, including international students and workers in the agriculture industry.
"Officials will provide Kenyan officials with a comprehensive briefing of all of Canada’s available immigration programs and additional insights into how all foreign nationals can apply to these programs," a statement by the Canadian minister read in part.
