Indian Family Deported from Canada

An Indian family that spent eight years building a life in Quebec, Canada, has returned to India after its attempts to remain in the country on refugee and humanitarian grounds were rejected. Harish Kumar, his wife Sonika and their two sons, Japesh, 14, and Gaulash, 12, arrived in India by flight on September 7. The children, who grew up in Quebec, expressed deep distress over having to leave Canada. “I grew up here. I have friends here. I have nothing in India,” Japesh said before leaving the country.

The deportation has drawn strong criticism from the Immigrant Workers Centre, which advocates for migrant rights. The organisation highlighted Harish’s work as a truck driver during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying he was considered an “essential worker” when his labour was needed but was later unable to remain in Canada. Canadian immigration authorities, however, said removal decisions are not taken lightly and are implemented only after all legal avenues have been exhausted. Harish, who previously ran a grocery store in Goraya, Punjab, said he fled India and sought asylum in Canada in April 2018 after alleged political pressure, a false case and police harassment. After an eight-year legal battle, the family was forced to return to India.