After Gujarat family freezing deaths, India wants migration pact with Canada

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The Canadian Bazaar

TORONTO: Amid the shock of the freezing deaths of four members of a Gujarati family on the Canada-US border, India has proposed a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) with Canada to check human trafficking.

Revealing this on Thursday while identifying the four members of a Gujarati family that froze to death on January 19 while trying to enter the US illegally from Manitoba, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said the Indian proposal is under consideration of the Canadian government.

The high commission, which sent a team from the Indian Consulate in Toronto to Winnipeg to assist in the investigations, said it is working with Canadian authorities “on all aspects of the investigation into this incident.” The next of kin of the family in India have been informed about the victims.

The high commission said, “On longer term issues that this tragedy has brought into focus is the need to ensure that migration and mobility are made safe and legal and that such tragedies don’t occur” in the future.

In this connection, the Indian mission said, “A number of ideas remain under discussion between India and Canada. For instance, to prevent and suppress irregular migration, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings and to facilitate sustainable and circular mobility, India has proposed a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) to Canada which remains under the consideration of the Canadian government.”

The high commission said Canada remains a preferred destination for Indian immigrants and students. 

“India and Canada work together to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian immigrants into Canada.The two countries have a regular consular dialogue which takes up issues related to migration and welfare of citizens in each other’s territory.”

2 COMMENTS

  1. What more can a government do to keep an eye on illegal immigration than they do in terms of checking other forms of outlawed activities? Since India is the place of origin, they should share a list of everyone who is into the immigration business for I know for sure that more than 50% of these so-called agents are crooks. To keep your own eye shut and try and engage a second party is not going to help. I am therefore assuming that these steps are cosmetic just to be able to answer the questions posed by the opposition parties in the Indian parliament.

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