Canadian authorities issue criminal charges against Brijesh Mishra in fake college admission scam

An immigration consultant in India is facing criminal charges in Canada for providing dozens of international students with fraudulent college admissions letters to secure study permits in Canada.

In a statement on Friday evening, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced it is charging Brijesh Mishra under the Immigration and Refugee Act for allegedly misrepresenting himself as a licensed immigration consultant and offering advice.

``Following information provided to the CBSA concerning Mr. Mishra's status in Canada, as well his alleged involvement in activities related to counseling misrepresentation, the Agency launched an investigation,'' reads the statement.

These charges were announced a week after federal immigration minister Sean Fraser assured international students who were facing deportation that those who have been scammed will be allowed to stay in Canada until their cases are reviewed further.

``The Government of Canada's focus is on identifying those who are responsible for the fraudulent activity and not on penalizing those who may have been affected by fraud,'' Fraser said on June 14.

Last month, Mishra has been arrested by Indian authorities, his license in that country has been revoked, and further investigations are ongoing in India.