Ottawa, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The death of a 28-year-old man from Punjab’s Tarn Taran district in Canada has drawn attention to the challenges faced by Indian migrants, including alleged employment fraud, wage exploitation and financial difficulties linked to overseas migration.
Simranjeet Singh died on October 23 after reportedly being hit by a train in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area. The incident was described as a suspected suicide. According to a report by Khalsa Vox, Singh had prepared food for himself before travelling towards a railway station in Mississauga.
His family said he had moved to Canada on an employer-specific work permit obtained through the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. His parents had reportedly borrowed a substantial amount to finance his migration, hoping that his employment abroad would improve their financial condition.
However, Singh allegedly encountered problems soon after arriving in British Columbia. His family claimed that the company named in his employment documents was not operational in Canada and that no representative came to receive him at the airport. He initially stayed with a friend before moving to the Greater Toronto Area, where he obtained a truck driver’s licence and found work with a transport company.
His relatives alleged that the trucking company owed him approximately CAD 15,000 in wages and later paid only CAD 2,000 to CAD 3,000. After resigning, Singh worked for an e-commerce company in Ottawa for several months before returning to the Greater Toronto Area and taking up another trucking assignment.
Despite changing jobs, he reportedly struggled to secure stable employment and financial security. His difficulties were compounded by a loan of more than Rs 25 lakh taken by his family to fund his migration, which he found difficult to repay.
The family also raised concerns about his immigration status. They said Singh had approached an immigration lawyer, who submitted a refugee protection claim in an effort to regularise his stay. The family initially believed the application was being processed but later learnt, after his death, that it had reportedly been rejected. They alleged that the lawyer had not informed Singh about important developments and demanded additional money when he sought clarification.
A Khalsa Vox report by Antariksh Singh noted that the allegations had not been independently established, but said the case highlighted risks faced by migrants who depend on employers, recruitment intermediaries and immigration advisers for their livelihoods and legal status.
The report also said friends and relatives believed Singh had largely concealed his difficulties from his parents in Punjab, who had made significant financial sacrifices to send him abroad. His family reportedly began understanding the extent of his financial and emotional struggles only after his death.
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