Protest in Canada is over expulsion of 70,000 overseas students.
Across Canada, thousands of students are demonstrating against the Justin Trudeau government's plan to lower the number of nominations for permanent residency and to restrict study permits.
Due to recent changes in federal immigration regulations, approximately 70,000 international student graduates in North America run the risk of being deported, which gave rise to the event.
The administration of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also declared on Monday that fewer temporary foreign workers will be employed at low-paying jobs.
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program eliminated work permits for foreign students in 2021. Additionally, a two-year limit on international student visas was imposed by the federal government last year.
Thirty-seven percent of Canadian study visa holders in 2023 were foreign students, adding to the strain already caused by the housing crisis, unemployment, and other services. With the cap on student visas, the government expects a 35 percent reduction in the intake of foreign students.
To address this, the Canadian government in June announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border.
International students have set up camps and organised rallies across several provinces, including Prince Edward Island (PEI), Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, as part of the protests that are occurring from coast to coast.
Hundreds of students in Prince Edward Island have been demonstrating against the new immigration laws in front of the legislative assembly for more than three months.
A number of graduates may be deported when their work permits expire at the end of the year, according to representatives of the student advocacy group Naujawan Support Network.
Due to new provincial laws that have resulted in a 25% decrease in nominations for permanent residency, the situation has gotten much worse, leaving many students unprepared.
"I risked everything for six years to get to Canada. Mehakdeep Singh, a former foreign student who faces deportation, told City News Toronto, "I studied, worked, paid taxes, and earned enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, but the government has taken advantage of us."
Singh, who used his family's life resources to pay for his education, is now faced with an intimidating deadline without any assurance of being granted permanent residence.
Foreign nationals will no longer be able to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border as of June 21, according to Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marc Miller.
This ruling targets the practice of "flagpoling," in which transient residents leave and return to Canada in order to speed up applications for work or study permits.
With a significant increase in issuances in 2023 compared to 2018, the PGWP is essential for international students looking for work and permanent residence.