Immigration policy changes spur protests from international students in Canada

Over 70,000 international students in Canada are protesting new policy changes that could see their permits restricted and potentially lead to their deportation after their studies.

The protests have spread nationwide, with demonstrations recorded in Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, as students demand an extension to work permits after graduation and the ease of restrictive regulations on permanent residency.

The Canadian government is trying to cut down on permanent residency levels as part of its efforts to address a growing job and housing shortage—a move that protesters say wrongly targets them.

Back in January, Marc Miller, Canada’s immigration minister, announced a two-year cap on the number of permits for international students. This year, the government plans to approve 35 percent less undergraduate study visas than issued in 2023. Approvals would cap at 360,000 from the nearly 560,000 last year.

The agitated students argue that despite their significant investments in education and contributions to the Canadian economy, they are now being told to complete their studies and return home while shouldering massive debts.

Some students have even set up encampments outside the Legislative Assembly in Prince Edward Island, where they have been protesting overnight for more than three months.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also hinted at additional immigration changes expected in September, which could further reduce permanent resident levels.

This would mark a major policy reversal for the Trudeau government, which had previously opened up Canada’s borders to overseas workers, including Nigerians to fill labor shortages created post-covid.

Study permit approvals for Nigerian students applying to Canada doubled from 40 percent from 2020 to 2023, according to immigration statistics. Nigeria is now Canada’s fourth largest market accounting for over 45,965 students across the country’s higher institutions.

Many skilled workers also continue to flock to Canada for jobs as the number of Nigerians with permanent residency (PR) status in Canada surged to a new 15-month high in May, BusinessDay reported.

As many Canadians face housing and affordability concerns, the federal government has been under increasing pressure to address the number of temporary and permanent residents entering the country.

A Bank of Canada economic progress report from last December acknowledged that strong immigration numbers since 2022 have helped boost Canada’s workforce. However, the report also noted that “the bigger issue is that Canada’s housing supply has not kept pace with recent increases in immigration.”

Advocacy groups, such as the International Sikh Student Organization, argue that the challenges facing Canada are rooted in broader policy failures rather than the migration of international students, calling on the federal government to address the systemic issues that have led to their exploitation.

If the government follows through with its reforms, protesters say they fear Canada will lose not only a significant portion of its skilled workforce but also the trust of future international students.