- Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, disclosed that there will be a reduction in the number of temporary foreign workers by limiting the study permits and permanent residency nominations
- This development will affect over 70,000 international student graduates as they'll face deportation
- Students set out to protest in various provinces, challenging the new immigration policy
Thousands of students are protesting across Canada against the Justin Trudeau government’s decision to limit study permits and reduce permanent residency nominations.
The incident arose as over 70,000 international student graduates in North America risk deportation due to recent changes in federal immigration policies.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will reduce the number of temporary foreign workers doing low-wage jobs on Monday, August 26.
In 2021, the work permit for international students under the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) programme was abolished, and last year, the federal government also introduced a two-year cap on international student visas.
In 2023, international students accounted for 37 per cent of study visa holders in Canada, contributing to existing pressures from the housing crisis, unemployment, and other services. With the cap on student visas, the government expects a 35 per cent reduction in the intake of international students.
To address this, the Canadian government in June announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border.
The protests are taking place from coast to coast, with international students setting up encampments and organising rallies in various provinces, including Prince Edward Island (PEI), Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. In PEI, hundreds of students have been protesting outside the legislative assembly for over three months, challenging the changes in immigration rules.
Representatives from the Naujawan Support Network, a student advocacy group, have warned that many graduates could face deportation when their work permits expire at the end of the year.
International students in Canada lament vulnerability
The situation has become particularly dire due to new provincial policies introducing a 25% reduction in permanent residency nominations, leaving many students unexpectedly vulnerable.
“I spent six years taking risks to come to Canada. I studied, worked, paid taxes, and earned enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, but the government has taken advantage of us,” Mehakdeep Singh, a former international student facing deportation, told City News Toronto.
Singh, who invested his family’s life savings in tuition, is now confronting a daunting deadline with no guarantee of permanent residency.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border starting June 21. This decision targets “flagpole”, where temporary residents exit and re-enter Canada to expedite work or study permit applications.
The PGWP is crucial for international students seeking employment and permanent residency, with a notable surge in issuances in 2023 compared to 2018.
Japa: 71,459 Nigerians became Canadian citizens in 19 years
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nigeria is the only African country on the top-10 list of new Canadian citizens by country of birth in the last 19 years between 2005 and 2024. About 71,459 Nigerians had left the shores of the country to become new Canadian citizens, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The move is fuelled by the japa wave in many sectors caused by socio-economic uncertainties in the country.
However, Netizens are disappointed that despite the ‘social media noise’ about Nigerians migrating to Canada, Nigeria is at the 10th spot on the list.