- Consultant Vikram Sharma fled Canada with family after his Brampton home was targeted in a shooting.
- Police are investigating over 400 extortion reports targeting South Asian businesses through a specialized task force.
- The violence emerges as millions of work permits expire amid tightening federal immigration policies.
(BRAMPTON, CANADA) — immigration consultant Vikram Sharma said his family fled canada after his Brampton home was shot at around 1:30 a.m. on January 3, 2026, and he received a WhatsApp extortion demand for CA$500,000 that included a video of the attack.
Eight to nine bullets hit Sharma’s vehicle and garage while his family was inside the home near Sandalwood Parkway and Creditview Road, according to details of the incident. A WhatsApp message arrived shortly after, warning his family would be targeted if he did not pay.
“We didn’t come to Canada for this. We came for the peace, for the system,” Sharma said in a Punjabi off-camera interview with Hashtag Media. He said his family left Canada last week, just over three years after arriving.
Free toolCanada Express Entry Points CalculatorInvestigation and police response
Peel Regional Police are investigating Sharma’s case through the force’s Extortion Investigations Task Force, which was launched in 2024. Police are probing it alongside over 400 extortion reports from last year targeting South Asian businesses.
No suspects have been named publicly in Sharma’s case. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown wrote to the federal government last month asking for help, citing the “escalating threat of extortion and transnational organized crime,” and pointing to international networks using digital platforms.
Related reports and community accounts
Journalist Nitin Chopra, who is based in Brampton, has reported multiple similar threats against immigration consultants in the Greater Toronto Area and in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb. Chopra also reported that a large unnamed firm with multiple offices has been implicated but has not formally complained.
An anonymous consultant in Mississauga described a similar extortion attempt in December 2025 to Hindustan Times. The account added to concerns among consultants who work with migrants and temporary residents navigating expiring permits and changing rules.
Immigration context and policy impacts
The threats and violence are unfolding as work permits expire in large numbers and immigration policies tighten under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data show 1,053,000 work permits expired by end-2025, with 927,000 set to lapse in 2026.
Those expiries could leave up to 2 million undocumented residents by mid-2026, according to the same figures cited alongside the data. A Mississauga consultant, Kanwar Seirah, estimated Indians make up nearly half of those at risk.
Carney’s policies cap permanent residency at 380,000 for 2026. The same policy direction includes reductions in temporary worker and student intakes, and refugee admissions limited through 2028.
For people whose status lapses, the timelines are tight. Expiring permit holders have 90 days to apply for restoration, a process described as costly, with no work allowed while it is being processed and months-long delays.
Fraud, coercion and community effects
Consultants and community members have linked those pressures to a growing market for fraud and coercion, while also describing fear of being singled out because of their role in immigration pathways. Sharma’s case, they say, shows how quickly threats can become violent.
Tent encampments of out-of-status Indians have appeared in Brampton and Caledon, amid reports of cash jobs and sham marriage bureaus. Groups including Naujawan Support Network have planned January 2026 protests over what they describe as missing pathways for people losing status.
Peel Police and the Canada Border Services Agency have deported extortion suspects, as authorities confront wider South Asian-targeted crimes. RCMP investigations since 2024 have linked some violence to organized crime, contributing to what has been described as an unsafe perception in South Asian communities.
The broader climate has also included unrelated activity attributed to Indian government agents, including threats against pro-Khalistan figures, described as involving over a dozen Duty to Warn notices. Community leaders have called for stronger protection for residents and small businesses, and for immigration agents who serve clients amid what was described as 1 million Indians at risk of status loss.
Personal impact and final remarks
Sharma, recounting why his family came and why they left, said: “We didn’t come to Canada for this. We came for the peace, for the system,” a line that has echoed as other consultants in Brampton, Mississauga and Surrey weigh whether they can keep working under threat.
“We didn’t come to Canada for this. We came for the peace, for the system.”
Immigration consultant Vikram Sharma fled Canada after a violent extortion attempt in Brampton involving gunfire and a $500,000 demand. This event highlights a surge in organized crime targeting the South Asian community. The crisis is exacerbated by shifting federal policies, as millions of work permits expire, creating a vulnerable population. Peel Police and local officials are seeking federal aid to combat these transnational threats and protect the immigration system.
