Canada Minister Says Study Permits to Students from India Drop Due to Dispute
OTTAWA: The number of study permits issued by Canada to Indian students fell sharply late last year after India ordered Canadian diplomats and diplomats to process the permits over the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. A Canadian official told.
Immigration Minister Mark Miller said in an interview that he believes the number of study permits granted to Indians is unlikely to increase in the short term. Diplomatic tensions arose in June when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was evidence that Indian government agents were involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Najjar in British Columbia.
The tension will likely have an impact on future numbers, Miller said.
“Our relationship with India has actually halved our ability to process many of the requests coming from India,” Miller said.
In October, Canada was forced to expel 41 diplomats, or two-thirds of its staff, from India at the behest of New Delhi. Furthermore, a spokesperson for the minister stated that the controversy has encouraged Indian students to study in other countries.
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Study permits granted to Indians in the fourth quarter of last year fell 86%, from 108,940 to 14,910 in the previous quarter, due to factors not previously reported, according to official data.
Some Indian international students are considering options other than Canada because of “recent concerns about the lack of adequate residential and teaching facilities” at some Canadian institutions, said C. Gurusbramanian, counselor at the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
Indians have made up the largest group of International students in Canada in recent years, with 41% (or 225,835) of all permits going to them in 2022.
“Miller expressed uncertainty about the future of diplomatic relations, particularly in the event that the police decide to press charges. “It’s not that I see any light at the end of the tunnel.”
International students are a source of income for Canadian universities, bringing in around C$22 billion ($16.4 billion) a year, and the recession is a blow to the institutions.
In June, Canada said there were “credible” allegations that Indian agents were involved in Najjar’s murder in suburban Vancouver. India has rejected this allegation. As of now, Canadian authorities have not filed charges against anyone in connection with the murder.