Ottawa:
As Canada sees a barrage of protestors against the country’s Covid restrictions, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa has issued an advisory for Indian students affected by the closure of educational institutions located in Quebec.
Three colleges run by Rising Phoenix International Inc — M College H Montreal, CED College in Sherbrooke, and CCSQ College in Longueuil — have issued a notice to students announcing their closure in the wake of persisting national protests, prompting multiple Indian students to seek help from the High Commission in Ottawa.
“The High Commission has been approached by several students from India who were enrolled in the three institutions,” said the Commission’s advisory on Friday.
The advisory noted that the High Commission has been in close contact with the federal government, Quebec’s provincial government, as well as elected representatives from Canada’s Indian community to provide support to the affected students.
“In the event that they find any difficulty in reimbursement of their fees or transfer of fees, they may file a complaint with Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Quebec,” stated the advisory.
The students were also informed that they are free to approach the Education Wing of the High Commission in Ottawa or the Consulate General of India in Toronto if they require immediate assistance regarding the issue.
The advisory also warned against making payments to any institutions that don’t have their credentials in order. “Students should not make any payments or reveal their personal information to any unverified person/ institution offering students visa on payment,” cautioned the advisory.
Canada has been at the center of a wave of protests since January, with thousands of truckers leading demonstrations against Canada’s Covid vaccine mandate to cross the US border. However, over the past month, the protests have expanded past truckers, and protestors’ demands have grown to include an end to all pandemic rules and, for many, a wider anti-establishment agenda.
With many of the protestors expressing anti-government sentiments, various groups have recently united in opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and are calling for the overthrow of his government.
(With inputs from ANI)