Marc Miller, the Immigration minister of Canada had warned last month that there has been an
increase in the asylum claims from international students.
The minister expressed his displeasure about the fact that Toronto’s Seneca College, recorded
increased asylum claims from international students. The increase is from 300 in 2022
to almost 700 in 2023, and similarly in Kitchener’s Conestoga College, the applications
increased from 106 to 450 during that same period, reports the The Canadian
Press.

“The increase has now been officially confirmed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada,” notes Waterloo Region Record in its recently published report.
During a recent study it was reported that Conestega college was at the top of the list of all
colleges and universities that have got the most international student study permit applications
approved. The report days that in 2023, 30,395 international students were accepted.
University of Canada West B.C., had taken 13,913 international students in
2023. Fanshawe College took 11,706 international students.

Earlier in January Miller had announced that Canada would be introducing measures to control
the intake of international students due to pressures on current infrastructure. The ill effect of
uncontrolled international student intake on housing, health care and services has grown to
unbearable levels. Therefore by capping study permit applications for two years it would be the first step
to put things right.

The cap this year is numbered at 360000, a 35% decrease from the last year. The cost of living requirement has also been increased to match the actual expenditure the student is going to incur for living as a student in Canada. Earlier it was $10000 and now it’s $20000.

There has been very high number of intakes of international students by colleges with the sole aim of getting more revenue from them. Most of the students are not provided with even the basic facilities that are required to live a healthy and respectable life.

As per the reports, there have been the highest number of asylum claim applications by students from India. Though the acceptance of such applications is very less, about 20 since 2014, still the ever increasing asylum claim applications is baffling the government.

One of the concerns with Canada’s growing international student programs is that they have become a primary pathway for individuals to get into and remain in the country, and are not necessarily about receiving a world-class education.

As Nitin Khanna, a student from India, accepted that when he started his paperwork to get enrolled in a college in Canada for pursuing further education, his aim (immigration to Canada) was very clear in his mind. He told, “that he and many students like him from India, believe that the international student study programs can be used to get a foothold in Canada. The sole purpose is to get PR to Canada and there is nothing wrong in that, because that is well within the realm of law. Studying is the means to achieve permanent residency in Canada, that’s why we have seen in the past people, some well past their student age, enrolling in irrelevant courses like gardening, nursing etc”, he added.

In 2023, more than one million international students had active study permits in Canada, an increase of 29 per cent over 2022.

In cases where these students are not able to stay after their studies are over, some have been exploring other avenues. Claiming asylum is a last resort. Students first try to extend their study permits: at Conestoga alone, more than 6,600 applied for a study permit extension. Some attempt to spend more to obtain an LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment) – essentially a temporary foreign worker tool that makes them beholden to the employer issuing it. Though they aren’t supposed to be sold, LMIAs these days sell for anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 and more.

Only after all such options are exhausted does asylum come into the picture. But not every claim is accepted, as claimants are required to prove that they would face persecution if they are sent back to their home country.