In a major development, hundreds of Indian students in Canada's Prince Edward Island (PEI) region staged a protest on Friday against the Canadian government seeking changes in immigration policy overnight as many of them failed to receive their work permits.
As per media reports, the students claimed that despite graduating, they were denied work permits which led to a fear of deportation.
The students reportedly threatened to go on a hunger strike if their demands weren't met.
On May 9, the protest near the PEI government buildings started and by May 13, over 200 protesters assembled in Charlottetown raising their voice against thee immigration policy and seeking immediate intervention of the provincial government to help the foreign workers whose work permits are about to expire.
Work permit denied to many: Why?
Canada's Prince Edward Island (PEI) region in 2023 passed a law that now restricts postgraduate work permits to students barring certain qualifications. As per the new rule, only students with degrees in construction, home-building and healthcare are allowed to get a permit.
This amendment in the work permit rule reportedly meant that hundreds of immigrants in other industries including retail sales and service, are likely to not get their work permits extended once they expire in the next few months leading to many international students becoming unable to continue working in Canada.
The PEI government this year announced it would reduce the number of immigrants that it nominates for permanent residency in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
According to CBC News, "The number of nominees will fall by 25 per cent in 2024, partly as a result of pressure on PEI's healthcare system and housing market."
About the Indian students' demands
The protesting students reportedly demanded an extension of work permits and a review of the recent amendments to immigration policies. As per reports, the Indian students want to be ‘grandfathered’, a status which will allow them to be exempted from new regulations or policies based on their previous status or circumstances.
It has been reported that the students have also threatened to go for a hunger strike if their demands aren't met by mid-May. Several videos showed a large group of Indian students marching through the streets of Charlottetown, protesting against sudden policy changes.
What did MEA say?
However, responding to the report of protests, the Ministry of External Affairs (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.
