More than 70,000 graduates are at risk of being deported when their work permits expire at the end of this year, a student advocacy body said
Thousands of international students in Canada are staging nationwide protests amid fears of facing deportation due to federal policy changes on immigrant workers by the Justin Trudeau government.
According to CityNews Toronto, representatives of Naujawan Support Network, a student advocacy group, said that more than 70,000 graduates are at risk of being deported when their work permits expire at the end of this year.
On Tuesday, the Trudeau administration announced that fewer temporary foreign workers will be allowed in Canada under tightened rules. This follows a policy announced by the Canadian government in January which would cut the number of new international student permits by 35% from the 2023 number effective September 1, 2024.
In May, the government said that beginning Septmber, international students would only be able to work off campus for a maximum of 24 hours per week.
A group of students Tuesday set up encampments outside the legislative assembly in Prince Edward Island, protesting overnight for more than three months. Similar demonstrations were witnessed in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, media reports stated.
The students are facing a critical situation as new provincial policies for a 25 per cent reduction in permanent residency nominations have left many unexpectedly vulnerable to deportation, according to the report.
Rallies by students, immigrant workers against blame for local housing, job crises
Besides the protests against federal policy changes, hundreds of international students and immigrant workers also held rallies in the past few months throughout Brampton, pushing back against a narrative that blamed them for local housing and job crises, CityNews reported.
The International Sikh Student Organization said such problems are rooted in broader policy failures rather than migration of international students.
The advocacy groups and students are calling on the federal government to extend work permits and provide clear pathways to permanent residency, emphasizing that they contribute significantly to the Canadian economy and deserve fair treatment, according to the report.
What are the changes introduced by the Canadian government?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that the Canadian government will reduce the share of temporary foreign workers in the low-wage stream that employers can hire, as part of an effort to curb the surge in temporary immigration following the pandemic. The reduction will be at a level of 10 per cent of their total workforce, down from 20 per cent.
These changes, which will take effect on September 26, follow previous adjustments made in March and over the summer.
Moreover, the government will no longer process applications from employers in regions with an unemployment rate of 6 per cent or higher anymore. The maximum time workers can be employed in the low-wage stream will also be cut to one year, down from two.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the reliance on low-wage stream increased significantly since 2022, when Ottawa eased access to the program in response to labour shortages. The government records showed 83,643 temporary foreign worker positions in low-wage stream were approved in 2023, compared to 28,121 in 2019.
The government had also announced plans to reduce the number of temporary residents and limit the number of foreign workers businesses can hire. Immigration Minister Marc Miller had indicated that the proportion of temporary residents in the population would be reduced from 6.2 per cent to 5 per cent over the next three years, the Indian Express reported.