Hundreds of Indian students are protesting against a new federal policy in Canada that threatens them with deportation. Many international students, especially from India, dream of moving to Canada for a better future. However, changes in Canada’s immigration policy have put the future of more than 70,000 graduate students in jeopardy.
In the province of Prince Edward Island, Indian students have been camping outside the Legislative Assembly for over three months, protesting the sudden policy change. Similar protests are also happening in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
The new policies aim to reduce the number of nominations for permanent residency by 25% and limit study permits.
This change comes at a time when Canada’s population has grown rapidly in recent years. According to federal data, about 97% of last year’s population growth in Canada was due to immigration.
Representatives from the students’ advocacy group, Naujawan Support Network, stated that graduate students face the risk of deportation when their work permits expire at the end of this year.
A former international student, Mahakdeep Singh, who is facing deportation, said, “I spent the most important six years of my life taking many risks to come to Canada.”
Singh added, “In the last six years, I studied, worked, paid taxes, and earned enough CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points, but the government has taken advantage of us.” Like many other international students, Singh spent his family’s life savings on college tuition, hoping to eventually gain permanent residency.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is under pressure to reduce the number of temporary residents amid a local housing and jobs crisis, which has seen a surprising increase in recent years. Trudeau is trailing in the polls ahead of next year’s elections.
The Canadian government is also reducing the number of temporary foreign workers, reversing its 2022 decision to expand the program. This program allowed immigrants to work in the country on a short-term basis to address labor shortages.
According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), 183,820 temporary foreign worker permits were issued in 2023, an 88% increase from 2019. On Monday, ESDC criticized employers for using the program to “avoid hiring talented workers in Canada.”
