'Peaceful Khalistan protests will not lead to deportation'

Members of Sikh community in Canada raising their voice peacefully for separate 'Khalisthan', will not be asked to leave the country, visiting Minister Jason Kenney said today.

Canada's Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said this while addressing press conference here.

"Members of Sikh community could raise their voice peacefully while living in Canada as there is nothing wrong in it since they are doing within the law frame.

"The Canadian government would not review their immigration status or disturb their residency status since they are not disturbing the law and order," he said.

He, however, said that if anybody was found involved in any act of terrorism or raising funds for terrorist activities then the government would definitely take action against them followed by their deportation.

On regard to fraudulent marriages, he said the Canadian Government was working aggressively to crackdown on all such cases.

"In 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) introduced new regulations to prevent fraudsters using marriages of convenience to gain entry to Canada.

Newly-wed sponsored spouses are now required to live in a legitimate relationship with their sponsors for two years from the day they receive their permanent resident status in Canada or risk having their status revoked," he said.

The Minister said even if their marriage ends after two years, sponsored spouses must now wait five years from the day they were granted permanent resident status before they can apply to sponsor a new spouse of their own.

Kenney also pointed out that Canada continues to maintain record high levels of student permits issued to the Punjab region with a 54 per cent of approval rate.

In 2012, Canada issued approximately 5,200 student permits from Chandigarh, up from 173 in 2004, he said.

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