The Canadian government placed a cap on the number of study permits granted to international students earlier this year. The government stated that a rapid increase in the number of international students was putting added “pressure on housing, health care and other services.”
In addition, Immigration Minister Marc Miller criticised some private colleges for the increasing number of refugee claims from their international students, saying the trend was “alarming” and “totally unacceptable.”
Similarly, a recent article in the Globe and Mail stated refugee claims by international students increased by 646% from 2018 to 2023, and raised concerns about students exploiting Canada’s immigration system.
However, focusing on refugee claims, and not refugee claim approvals, obscures the context needed to understand such a complex issue. These comments and statistics are misleading and contribute to fueling xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment.
Given the central place of immigration in heated political debates in Canada, it’s crucial to unpack these claims and understand the implications of perpetuating unfounded criticism of Canada’s refugee and immigration system.
More displaced people
Amid the war in Ukraine, violence in Haiti and enduring humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, Sudan and elsewhere, over 114 million people have been displaced worldwide. Accordingly, refugee claims have increased around the world from displaced people; many of whom face the risk of being forcibly returned home or sent to a third country.
The number of refugee…
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