The Punjab government on Tuesday sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a case involving the possible deportation of more than 700 Indian students from Canada, reported PTI.

The students are facing deportation from Canada after authorities in the country found that their admission offer letters to the educational institutions they were studying in were fake.

The students had gone to Canada in 2018-’19 on a study visa. After completing their studies, they received work permits in the country. The admission offer letters were found to be fake after they applied for permanent residency in the North American country.

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The students had applied for study visas through Jalandhar-based Education Migration Services, which is headed by a person named Brijesh Mishra.

In a letter to Jaishankar, Punjab Non-Resident Indian Affairs Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal said that the students have been cheated by fraudsters.

“I shall be highly grateful if you again look into the matter personally and take up the matter with concerned agencies including the High Commission of Canada and the government of Canada so that these students can be saved from being deported,” Dhaliwal wrote, according to PTI.

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He also urged people to check the details of the college and the travel agent’s record before going abroad.

Meanwhile, several students who are facing deportation are holding a protest on Airport Road in Canada’s Mississauga city since May 29, according to the Hindustan Times. The protest was triggered after Canadian authorities had asked one of the students to leave the country by June 13.

In April, four universities in Australia had banned the enrolment of students from specific Indian states such as Punjab and Haryana due to fraudulent applications. A month later, two more universities in the country took a similar step.