Canada asks Punjab govt to check illegal immigration

Canada today alleged largescale illegal immigration from Punjab to the country and sought the state government's cooperation to help check the problem.

A high-powered delegation led by Canadian minister for citizenship, immigration and multi-culturalism Jason Kenney met chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here to draw his attention to the problem of unlawful immigration from Punjab to Canada and seek his cooperation to check it, an official spokesman in Chandigarh said.

Sharing Canada's concern over the issue, Badal told the delegation that top Punjab police officials have been asked to coordinate with the office of the consulate general of Canada based in Chandigarh to deal with cases of illegal immigration and expressed his government's determination to find a permanent solution to the problem, the spokesman said.

Badal asked Kenney to direct the Canadian embassy to be in touch with the state police department to immediately bring to its notice cases of unlawful immigration to Canada from Punjab.

He also impressed upon the Canadian minister the need to simplify the procedure of getting a visa for the benefit of the majority of people.

Kenney told the chief minister that acceptance ofvisa applications by Canada had almost been doubled during the last five years especially in case of visitors' visas.

Likewise, there had been a considerable increase in the acceptance of visa applications for higher education also, the spokesman quoted the Canadian minister as saying.

He also sought Badal's personal intervention to nab the unscrupulous travel agents who were aiding the persons in illegal immigration to Canada.

Kenney asked Badal to send students intending to pursue higher education to Canada only after verifying that they have completed the requisite formalities as per visa guidelines prescribed by the office of the Canadian high commission.

The minister also underlined the need to bring a strict legislation by the state government to rein in unscrupulous travel agents who had been exploiting innocent people.