9 Indian International students in New Zealand have been served deportation notices by the government because their India-based agent used fake documents to get them a student visa, reports.
Manoj Narra is one of the nine students facing deportation. Narra told RNZ that his family spent about $15000 to send him to New Zealand to get a degree in Business.
He says he is not to blame for the fraudulent documents prepared by his agent.
Totally distraught, he fears facing his family, "I feel totally bad because I can't see even my family faces because everyone was putting a lot of hope on me that I can achieve in my family something. How can I face them?"
Mr Narra questioned why Immigration New Zealand was taking such a strong stance against him, when he was the one who was cheated.
IMMIGRATION LAWYER SAYS DEPORTING THESE STUDENTS IS UNFAIR
Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont told RNZ that these students had no idea that fake documents were used. He feels that deporting these students who had each spent about $30,000 on their studies and are about to graduate was unfair.
"It's extremely unfair because all of these students were victims of a scam by their agents, they knew nothing about the frauded documents. They've now spent their life savings, families have taken out huge loans to pay for their studies here in New Zealand, they're about to graduate, now Immigration are saying you're going to be deported, you're out of here," he told RNZ.
EDUCATION AGENTS IN INDIA ARE NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS
"The students offered this information to Immigration New Zealand about who these agents were, but they received no response whatsoever so it appears Immigration New Zealand has no interest in trying to pursue these people."
He also said the agents' websites were still active till Friday.
GRANT THEM PERMISSION TO STAY ON JUST LIKE FILIPINO WORKERS WERE ALLOWED, SAYS LAWYER
Mr McClymont says these students should be granted permission to stay in New Zealand. He points out another instance where he claims that hundreds of Filipino workers were allowed to stay on in the country despite their agents having submitted fake documents..
"The facts of the two situations are exactly the same, except I suppose the dairy farmers have a lot of clout in getting their local MPs and Ministers to grant the amnesty. In this situation, the students have already spent their money here in New Zealand, they've already paid the schools, so I suppose Immigration New Zealand see them as being expendable now."
According to the report, Mr McClymont now plans to submit an application to the Minister of Immigration, Michael Woodhouse, to request him to cancel their deportation.
