Indian students in Canada protest over deportation after immigration rules changed

Indian students in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) have taken to the streets, protesting over a policy shift that threatens them with deportation after a sudden change in the provincial immigration rules.

However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has stated that it has no reports or updates on the issue.

The protest has now entered the second week and the Indian students say they will continue to fight for their rights as it is a "now-or-never situation".

PEI recently changed the rules of its Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) to reduce the number of immigrants as a huge number of people was putting strain on its healthcare and housing infrastructure.

The protesting Indians accuse the provincial Canadian government of suddenly changing immigration rules and refusing them work permits. According to reports, these students, despite having graduated, are now facing deportation.

"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... We do not have any updates on that. We are not aware.

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," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. 

Recently, Canada has witnessed an unprecedented surge in immigration, with PEI, seeing more international students than its PNP could support

Mostly, Indian students enrol in institutions in provinces like Ontario or British Columbia. However, upon realizing the fierce competition for PR in these densely populated areas, many transfer to smaller, less populated provinces like PEI.

The provincial government has thus decided to prioritize PR for individuals working in essential sectors such as healthcare, early childhood education, and construction, it said.

This shift in policy has left many international students, who predominantly work in the food and retail industries, in a dangerous position.