Tens of 1000’s of worldwide college students took to the streets throughout Canada this week in a wave of protests towards new immigration insurance policies launched by the federal authorities.
In accordance with a report by Metropolis Information Toronto on Monday, the demonstrations, which drew roughly 70,000 college students occurred in main provinces together with Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
The protests got here in response to a sequence of immigration reforms which have left many worldwide college students fearing deportation.
In 2021, Canada abolished the Submit-Commencement Work Allow programme, which had beforehand allowed worldwide college students to realize invaluable work expertise within the nation after finishing their research.
Compounding the difficulty, the Federal Authorities launched a two-year cap on worldwide scholar visas final yr.
As of 2023, worldwide college students made up 37 per cent of research visa holders in Canada.
Nevertheless, the current cap on scholar visas is predicted to scale back the consumption of international college students by 35 per cent, a transfer the federal government argues is critical to alleviate pressures on housing, unemployment, and public companies.
In June, the Canadian authorities additional tightened laws by asserting that international nationals would now not be capable to apply for a PGWP on the border.
This resolution has sparked fears amongst college students who’re involved about their future in Canada.
Pupil advocacy teams, together with the Naujawan Help Community, have warned that many worldwide graduates may face deportation as soon as their work permits expire on the finish of the yr.
“I spent six years taking dangers to return to Canada. I studied, labored, paid taxes, and earned sufficient Complete Rating System factors, however the authorities has taken benefit of us,” a former worldwide scholar now dealing with the prospect of deportation, Mehakdeep Singh mentioned.
The state of affairs has additionally been aggravated by new provincial insurance policies, together with a 25 per cent discount in everlasting residency nominations, additional limiting the pathways for worldwide college students to stay in Canada.
Equally, immigrant staff have additionally staged rallies in cities like Brampton, countering claims that they’re contributing to native housing and job crises.