Country-Wide Protests in Canada as 70,000 International Students Face Deportation
The recent changes in the federal immigration policy of Canada have now exposed more than 70,000 international student graduates to the risk of being deported. These, together with the limitations on study permits and a crunch on nominations for permanent residency, therefore, drove a lot of people around the country to conduct protests. These students, who actually come with the hope of building a new life in Canada, try to ponder on an indefinite future.
Nationwide Protests Sweep Across Canada
Demonstrations have flared from coast to coast, with international students holding rallies and putting up camps across several provinces like PEI, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. In PEI, students have been protesting outside the legislative assembly for over three months as a way of airing their views against the new immigration rules. The Naujawan Support Network, a student advocacy group, says a lot of those graduates could be at risk of deportation by the end of the year as their work permits expire.
Implications of New regional measures
Their luck, however, seems to have run out in recent times and with the most recent regional measures implemented, they are currently bearing the brunt of a 25 percent trim in nominations for permanent residency. This has put very many of the international students in a state of serious disablement and uncertainty concerning their future in Canada, their state of affairs consequently being crippled and debilitated by the sudden change. An international student facing deportation, Mehakdeep Singh, went as far as being bluntly quoted, “I wasted six years risking my life to come to Canada. Studied, worked, paid taxes, gained enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, and now government is taking advantage of us.”
Why Canada is slashing away study visas
Due to the pressure that is exerted on housing and healthcare, among many other services, the government of Canada has put a cap on international student permit applications. International students comprised 37% of study visa holders in 2023, contributing to heightened pressure on these essential services. Canada has capped approved study permits, with expectations of seeing reduced numbers by 35% in 2024.
Post-Graduation Work Permits
The immigration, refugees, and citizenship minister, Marc Miller, said that foreign nationals can no longer apply in-country for a post-graduation work permit, commonly known as “flagpoling,” at the border. A PGWP is an important ingredient in the attraction strategy of international students to eventually become Canadian permanent residents. The measure is designed to deter system abuse in the dispensing of work permits and to more properly manage the intake of temporary foreign workers.
Indian Students Protest Unfair Targeting
Hundreds of Indian students continue to protest in Brampton, saying too much blame was being placed on them for the local place and job crises. But advocacy groups claim the blame is in overall policy regulation and not student inflows.
Calls for Government Action
In the spate of the demonstrations, it could be observed that it is actually desperation that seems to grow amongst the international students, and they are really so miffed at being unfairly targeted. They stand to be told to complete the study and go back home with heavy investment in the education and economy of Canada, with many debts to work out. They are also pushing governments to extend post-graduate work permits, clearly defining and harmonizing pathways to permanent residency, and addressing systemic issues leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
And as Canada grapples along those prickly paths of its immigration policies, the plight of these international students becomes all the more insistent. It is through government actions that their lives will finally be sealed, framing the immigration future of Canada. These protests acted as the alarm clock; immigration policies related to international students have to be fair and acknowledge their contribution by providing a clear route to permanent residency and, therefore, a secure future in Canada.
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