The integrity of the immigration system is in danger because the variety of worldwide college students grows, says the minister

politics

Marc Miller says Canada will welcome round 900,000 worldwide college students this yr

Posted: August 27, 2023
Final up to date: August 31, 2023

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the priority concerning the rising variety of worldwide college students coming into Canada isn’t just about housing, however Canadians' confidence within the “integrity” of the immigration system itself.

Canada is on monitor to welcome about 900,000 worldwide college students this yr, Miller mentioned in an interview that aired Saturday on the CBC.
Home. That's greater than at any time in Canada's historical past and roughly triples the variety of college students coming into the nation a decade in the past.

That quickly rising variety of worldwide college students gained extra consideration this week when the nation's new housing minister, Sean Fraser, floated the concept of ​​a doable cap on the variety of college students Canada brings in.

Fraser put a cap on worldwide college students as “one of many choices we have now to think about” throughout a cupboard retreat earlier this week in Prince Edward Island.

Miller, who took over from Fraser at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, informed visitor host Evan Dyer that the rising variety of college students was a housing concern, although he says it's necessary to not overstate the problem.

“It's an ecosystem in Canada that's very worthwhile and it's include some perverse results: some fraud within the system, some individuals profiting from what's seen as a backdoor entry into Canada, but in addition stress in various areas — a amongst them are the residences”, he mentioned.

However Miller shied away from committing to the concept of ​​a tough cap on the variety of college students coming into Canada.

“Simply placing a tough cap, which bought plenty of public play over the previous few days, will not be the one resolution to this,” he mentioned.

“The center of it’s actually attempting to grasp what drawback we're attempting to unravel for. It's not completely housing, it's extra applicable the integrity of the system that has mushroomed and grown within the final couple of years.”

Miller's determine of 900,000 represents the whole variety of pupil visas in Canada, a quantity that has elevated as Canada has welcomed extra worldwide college students in recent times.

There are presently greater than 807,000 worldwide college students who’ve research permits in Canada in any respect ranges of schooling. That's up from about 300,000 in 2013.

Miller mentioned there have been various “unlawful actors” attempting to take advantage of the system, which was finally having a unfavorable impact on individuals attempting to return to Canada for respectable causes. Miller referred to at least one
high profile example Final month, a world pupil was discovered sleeping beneath a bridge.

He mentioned he wouldn’t have interaction in “naming and shaming” however mentioned his focus was on some non-public faculties. Work have to be executed to strengthen the system, he mentioned, to make sure that establishments have sufficient area and housing for the individuals being admitted. Miller additionally mentioned that nearer cooperation with the provinces was key to fixing the issue.

Cap opposed by main universities

In an announcement to
Home, the Nationwide Affiliation of Profession Schools mentioned “regulated profession faculties present environment friendly, high-quality, industry-driven coaching to home and worldwide college students to supply the expert staff Canada desperately wants.” That features staff within the building trades who construct houses, they mentioned.

Philip Landon, interim president and CEO at Universities Canada, additionally opposed the concept of ​​a cap, searching for to place main universities as a part of the answer.

“I believe we are able to say the housing state of affairs is a disaster for Canadians broadly,” Landon mentioned in a separate interview with
Home. “I don't suppose blaming newcomers or worldwide college students is the best way to go.”

FRIEND | Doable restrict for worldwide college students:

Talking of
Home, various worldwide college students in Ottawa took problem with the concept individuals like them are making housing unaffordable. The truth is, mentioned Rishi Patel, a pupil from Zambia, worldwide college students usually have a tougher time discovering housing than native college students as they usually lack credentials.

“I simply got here to Canada. I don't have credit score checks but. I don't have any employment references,” he mentioned.

Mike Moffatt, an assistant professor on the Ivey College of Enterprise who makes a speciality of housing coverage, agreed with that sentiment when he spoke at PEI earlier this week.

“This can be a systemic failure, I’d say, of each the federal and provincial governments and the upper schooling sector through which I work to make sure that there may be sufficient housing for home and worldwide college students.”

“Native and worldwide college students are the largest victims of this, not the reason for it,” he mentioned.

Housing has turn into a serious federal political problem, with the Conservative opposition slamming the federal government as Canadians wrestle with the price of residing.

“We as Conservatives will guarantee that worldwide college students have housing, well being care and when they need, jobs so we are able to get again to a system that helps our universities, attracts the world's brightest individuals, helps the nation's demographics ours, however don't let individuals stay in poverty,” mentioned Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre.

Talking to Dyer, Miller mentioned his division's focus was to verify the system was working correctly for these attempting to return to Canada.

“What we don't wish to see is dashed hopes primarily based on a false promise,” Miller mentioned.

With information by Evan Dyer and Kristen Everson