Toronto: Canada’s study permit system is facing increased scrutiny after it was revealed that a Pakistani national, arrested on terrorism-related charges last week, had entered the country as an international student. This has led to concerns that international students are being unfairly blamed for the shortcomings of the immigration system.
Indian international students have gathered for an indefinite protest in Brampton, organized by the Naujawan Support Network. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested in Ormstown, Quebec, and faces terrorism charges in both Canada and the United States for allegedly planning attacks in New York City targeting the Jewish community. On Tuesday, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, confirmed that Khan arrived in Canada on a study visa in May 2023.
This incident is expected to further fuel anti-immigration sentiment in Canada, especially as the country grapples with a shelter affordability crisis linked to the large influx of temporary residents, including students. Many of these students, currently on post-graduate work permits, are facing an increasingly uncertain future.
In response, an indefinite protest has been launched in Brampton, located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), by the Naujawan Support Network. One of the lead organizers, Bikramjit Singh from Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, stated that nearly 130,000 former international students are expected to see their work permits expire by the end of 2025, putting them at risk of deportation as pathways to permanent residency have become more limited.
Singh expressed frustration at the lack of support from Canadian politicians, attributing their inaction to rising anti-immigration sentiment. “Given the political climate, they’re not doing anything. Plus, we’re not voters,” said Singh, who arrived in Canada as a student in 2019.
The protest, which began last Friday, will continue until their demands are met, including the extension of work permits, the provision of post-graduate work permits for all international students, and a fair pathway to permanent residency.
Singh noted that some students, feeling desperate, are resorting to filing refugee claims, attempting illegal entry into the U.S., or entering into marriages to maintain their status in Canada.
The current protest contrasts with one held last year, when many former international students from India faced deportation after immigration consultants used forged documents to secure their study permits. That protest, which began in May and ended later in the summer, saw the Canadian government offer amnesty to those who had genuinely come to study, under pressure from MPs and political leaders who supported the demonstrators.
However, the situation has changed this year, with diminished public sympathy and a notable absence of political support. “The majority of society is against us, and politicians are staying away,” said Bikramjit Singh.
