NEW DELHI: A startling revelation from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has implicated at least 260 Canadian colleges in an international human trafficking racket. The investigation suggests these institutions issued student visas to thousands of Indians who were allegedly funneled into the United States as part of a lucrative trafficking operation.
The probe gained momentum following the tragic death of a Gujarati family—Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishali, and their two children—who froze to death near the US-Canada border in January 2022 while attempting to cross into the United States illegally. Indian officials allege that traffickers used Canadian colleges as a facade to facilitate illegal migration under the guise of student visas.
According to the ED, individuals paid agents between ₹50-60 lakh to secure admission to these Canadian colleges. However, many never attended classes, instead being “pushed” across the border into the United States. The investigation is examining the financial transactions of these colleges to determine how much profit they made from facilitating these illegal entries.
“Agents arranged admissions into Canadian colleges and universities on student visas, but instead of pursuing studies, these migrants illegally crossed the US-Canada border,” the ED stated, highlighting the alleged complicity of these institutions.
Recent searches by the ED across Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara uncovered extensive evidence. Two agents from Mumbai and Nagpur reportedly sent 35,000 illegal migrants abroad annually, utilizing partnerships with Canadian colleges. The investigation has also identified 1,700 agents in Gujarat and approximately 3,500 across India involved in the operation, with more than 800 still active despite ongoing crackdowns.
During raids, ₹19 lakh was seized from bank accounts, along with key documents and digital evidence. The case is rooted in an FIR against Bhavesh Patel, an agent implicated in the tragic Patel family incident.
India’s ED alleges that Canadian colleges have played a significant role in enabling human trafficking under the pretense of education, with universities profiting from commissions paid by agents. This probe has cast a shadow over Canada’s education system, raising serious questions about its role in facilitating such illegal activities.