According to a compliance report from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), nearly 20,000 international students from India failed to attend their enrolled Canadian colleges in March and April of last year. This information was highlighted in a report by the Globe and Mail on Wednesday.
Out of the 49,676 students overall, 6.9% did not show up at their designated learning institutions (DLIs), as per IRCC data gathered from colleges and universities. Regarding Indian students, 91.1% of the 327,646 were compliant, while 5.4% (19,582 students) were non-compliant, and details for 12,553 were not reported by their institutions. The non-compliance rate for Indian students was below the report’s average but significantly higher for students from Burundi, Rwanda, and Chad, at 49%, 48.1%, and 44.6%, respectively.
Immigration analyst Darshan Maharaja claimed the actual “no-show” figures were much higher than reported. However, Dikshit Soni, a principal consultant at SAAB Immigration Services, suggested the data required a nuanced interpretation. He noted that many students arrived in Canada only to realize their chosen institution did not qualify them for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), leading to last-minute transfers without proper updates to IRCC. Soni added that policy gaps inflated the no-show figures, but new rules introduced in November 2024 now require students to secure a new permit before changing institutions. He acknowledged some students and colleges exploited the system by switching schools without updates, not enrolling, or working while not studying.
This report comes amid allegations from India’s Enforcement Directorate of an immigration racket involving human trafficking. Investigations revealed that several Canadian colleges were allegedly involved in agreements with certain entities facilitating illegal migration. In December, IRCC responded by stating that Indian nationals were the largest group of illegal entries into the US, though illegal crossings have decreased significantly due to swift actions by Canadian authorities.
The IRCC spokesperson emphasized Canada’s commitment to addressing irregular migration and maintaining visa integrity. With increasing exploitation of temporary resident visas and heightened global migration risks, Canada has strengthened its measures against abuse and fraud.
The urgency of these actions is underscored by threats from US President-elect Donald Trump, who warned of imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian imports if Ottawa fails to curb illegal immigration into the US.
The ED’s investigation was triggered by the tragic death of four members of the Patel family in Manitoba in January 2022 while attempting to cross into the US. Both India and Canada have since committed to preventing such tragedies. Indian authorities have repeatedly raised concerns about human smuggling with Canadian officials following this incident.
