Canada: Indian students’ face ‘deportation’ as government abruptly alters immigration policy, clamps down work permits

Hundreds of Indian students in Canada’s Prince Edward Island (PEI) region took to the streets on May 17, 2024, to protest against the Canadian government for changing immigration policy overnight and denying them work permits.

According to an Indian media agency, the students alleged that despite graduating, they were denied work permits and now face deportation. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has denied the claims saying that while there may be a few cases here and there it doesn’t see a major problem. The students reportedly threatened to go on a hunger strike if their demands were not met.

The protests near the PEI government buildings began on May 9, according to a Canadian news agency over two hundred protestors gather at Charlottetown on May 13, 2024, urging the provincial government to intervene and help many foreign workers whose work permits are about to expire.

In July 2023, the PEI passed a law restricting postgraduate work permits to students with specific qualifications. They now allow only students with construction, home building and healthcare qualifications to get a permit. This reportedly means that hundreds of immigrants in other industries such as retail services may not have their work permits extended when they run out in the next few months. This has left many international students unable to continue working in Canada.

In February, the PEI government announced that it would reduce the number of people from other countries that it nominates for permanent residency in Canada through the Provincial Nomination Program. The number of nominees will fall by 25 percent in 2024, partly as pressure on PEI healthcare system and housing market.

Protest leader Rupinder Singh told a local news agency, “They called us here and now they want us to leave. Our provinces gave us false hopes. Singh, who came to Canada from India in 2019 said, “They were giving us wrong information. This is totally an exploitation”. As per the report, the protesting students demanded an extension of work permits and review of recent changes to immigration policies.

They want them to be grandfathered which will allow them to be exempted from new regulations or policies based on their previous status or circumstances. A grandfather status provides a measure of stability and fairness in immigration systems, allowing individuals to plan their lives and future with great certainty. The students are threatening a hunger strike if their demands are not met by Mid-May. Several videos showed a large group of Indian students marching through the streets of Charlottetown protesting against sudden policy changes.

Meanwhile, reacting to the report, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected the claim that hundreds of Indian students are facing ‘deportation’. Jaiswal said there might be a few cases here or there, but he doesn’t see any major problem.

“A large number of students have gone to Canada to study. The figure is pretty significant. But we haven’t come across several students facing deportation. There may be one case here or one case there. But we don’t see any major problem as far as students in Canada are concerned.” Jaiswal said.