Bhonpuram Khabari, Rudrapur: Once modelled after Punjab, the region of Terai, also known as the rice bowl of Uttarakhand, is competing its ideal state in its race to send its youth to the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Rows of IELTS coaching, visa centres, and agent offices line up the Udham Singh Nagar district headquarters, Rudrapur. The new exodus spans across castes. Sikhs, Punjabis, Brahmins, and Scheduled Castes – are all fleeing. Farming is not an aspirational option anymore. They say they are escaping the toxic cycle of joblessness, entrance exam paper leaks, and chronic delays in recruitment.
But the desperation to seek their fortune in other countries has engendered a nascent industry of touts and agents, helpers and hustlers. The district is becoming such a hub attracting hundreds of hopeful young men from nearby Pilibhit, Bilaspur, Baheri and Rampur of Uttar Pradesh. Alarmed by the increasing immigration fraud, the district’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) has asked the cops to verify whether all such agencies were registered. He has also written a letter to the state government seeking to make the process of obtaining a no-objection certificate from the police mandatory, for any such agency or centre.
The sources in Rudrapur claim that more than 7000 students left for different foreign universities in the year 2022. When asked why so many students are opting to go to other countries, Gurvinder Singh Goraya, managing director of Goraya Overseas said that the students in India have to face stiff competition to get admission to their favourite institution, and despite their hard work, some are left with no seat in their dream institute. “In contrast, foreign countries with relatively lower competition provide a tremendous opportunity for budding students to pursue their dream courses. Even some countries offer scholarships and attractive incentives like work permits. These are the major driving factors for parents and students behind their preference to study in a foreign country. In recent years, some countries like Australia have increased post-study work rights for students. These favourable changes have further increased the students’ sentiment toward studying abroad”, Goraya said.
“For Indian students, the UK and Canada are the preferred choices when it comes to studying abroad. Also, Australia and New Zealand have emerged as attractive destinations in the last few years. More than 3000 students went to the UK, around 2000 to Canada and 2000 to Australia and New Zealand last year. The figures are increasing with each passing year. Only after the lockdown during the Covid pandemic, the trend to settle abroad has seen a surge. These countries are also known for providing flourishing employment opportunities post the course completion, ” said Honey Girdhar, owner of another immigration firm.
“My dream is to settle abroad as I see no future in India,” said Akshay Gava, a resident of Alliance colony. He will soon be flying to Australia where he hopes to complete a two-year diploma in business management and eventually secure a longer work visa.
Average in studies, Hrithik Singh had no hope of securing a college seat or getting a well-paid job. “My father, a small shopkeeper, took a loan and dug deep into the family savings to help me secure an Australian student visa. I got lucky two years back when I reached Melbourne and worked part-time with a salon and now I earn that much that I can help my father also”, he said, wearing his red sneakers and a heavy gold chain
However, the police last week arrested two persons on charges of duping over Rs 2 crore from seven persons on the pretext of sending them to Canada. “The owners of Brar Overseas Consultancy, Khushwant Singh and Manmohan Jeet Singh were arrested while Khushwant’s wife Kran Deep Kaur is at large”, said Circle Officer (CO) Operations, Anusha Badola. It is a testimonial to a large number of people being duped by fraudulent immigration firms in the district. CO Badola further said that women are fast becoming part of this grand hoax. “We have received a complaint against a woman running such an immigration firm and a probe is underway. Lack of awareness coupled with a burning desire to go abroad is why many gullible youths fall prey to unscrupulous consultants”, she said.
Samarveer Singh, another visa consultant said, “The increasing cost of private education and falling job opportunities in the public sector and manufacturing in India have forced thousands of families to mortgage properties or take bank loans for overseas education. Even a continuous decline in the Indian rupee value has deterred families from forking out the fees”.
SSP Manjunath TC said that more than a dozen cases of fraud by these immigration firms were registered last year. “The fraudulent agencies have a common modus operandi. They open centres in different towns and even if one is sealed, they continue their operations from the remaining ones. They even forge documents. We are committed to breaking this chain and not letting anybody lose his hard-earned money. The cops all across the district have been directed to check each such deceptive centre and take strict actions against them”, the apex cop of the district added.
