Canada: Over 70,000 international students face deportation risk amid new immigration policies

Amid recent changes in federal immigration policies, over 70,000 international student graduates in Canada face the risk of being deported due to recent changes in federal immigration policies. 

Students are protesting across the country against the decision taken by the Justin Trudeau government to limit study permits and reduce permanent residency nominations.

Demonstrations have been taking place from coast-to-coast as international students have been setting up encampments and organising rallies in various provinces, including Prince Edward Island (PEI), Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia.

In PEI, hundreds have challenged the changes in immigration rules with protests outside the legislative assembly for over three months.

Meanwhile, Naujawan Support Network representatives have warned that many graduates could face deportation when their work permits expire at the end of the year.

As new provincial policies have introduced a 25 per cent reduction in permanent residency nominations, the situation has become bad with students facing unexpected challenges.

Mehakdeep Singh, a former international student facing deportation, told City News Toronto, "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."

Singh, who invested his family's life savings in tuition, is now confronting a daunting deadline with no guarantee of permanent residency.

The Canadian government imposed a cap on international student permit applications over the next two years to manage the growth of international students, who made up 37 per cent of study visa holders in 2023, putting significant pressure on Canada's housing, healthcare, and other services. 

The cap is expected to result in around 3,60,000 approved study permits in 2024, a 35 per cent reduction from the previous year, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on August 26 announced that the government will reduce the number of temporary foreign workers doing low-wage jobs.