The Canadian government announced a further cut in the number of study permits for international students, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the nation will crack down on "bad actors" if they "abuse the immigration system and take advantage of students".
In its announcement on Wednesday, the government also said that it would also tighten rules for foreign workers in an effort to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would grant 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year, and the number would be reduced by an additional 10 per cent in 2025.
"Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down," he added.
As per the government, Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025, which is down 10 per cent from the 485,000 permits issued in 2024. This number will remain the same in 2026.
In 2023, the nation approved 509,390, and 175,920 in the first seven months of 2024.
Earlier in January, the government had announced a cap on the increase of international student numbers for the next two years, leading to a predicted 35 per cent reduction in student intake in 2024 compared to 2023.
Addressing the media, Foreign Minister Marc Miller said that "coming to Canada was a privilege, not a right".
“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to, just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to,” he added.
Regarding work permits for foreign workers, the Foreign Minister said, “We are taking action to strengthen our temporary residence programs and roll out a more comprehensive immigration plan to meet the demands of today’s changing landscape."
The government also plans to implement additional restrictions on work permits for spouses of some international students and foreign workers, as well as heighten checks before issuing travel visas in a bid to curb an increase in fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.
The nation had already said earlier that it would reduce the number of temporary residents to 5 percent of the population, down from 6.8 per cent in April.
Wednesday's announcement came two days after the Trudeau-led Liberal Party lost a key seat in a bypoll in Quebec province and a week before Trudeau is set to face a confidence vote after the opposition Conservatives said it would not back an attempt to defeat his minority government.
In recent months, the party has witnessed a drop in public opinion polls as Trudeau is under immense pressure over unchecked immigration, which is straining the nation's housing and social services.
Reduction in the number of temporary residents, including foreign students and workers, in a bid to limit record immigration has become one of the major points of focus in the run-up to a general election in 2025.
The Liberal government is seeking to further slash this number after the country's population increased to more than 41 million this year despite implementing several measures to slash immigration.
Source: India Today