86% Drop In Study Permits To Indian Students In Canada Amid Diplomatic Row Over Nijjar's Killing

The number of Indian students seeking study permits in Canada has witnessed a significant decline, attributed to a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada over the assassination of a Khalistani terrorist, Reuters reported citing a senior Canadian official.

Official data reveals an 86 per cent decrease in study permits issued to Indians during the fourth quarter of 2023. In the late stages of the previous year, only 14,910 students were granted study permits, marking a substantial reduction from the earlier figure of 108,940 students.

In an interview, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the number of study permits for Indians is unlikely to rebound as the tensions are likely to weigh on the numbers going forward. "Our relationship with India has really halved our ability to process a lot of applications from India," he added.

India and Canada's ties have taken a toll after Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement accusing an Indian government agency of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He also expelled an Indian diplomat identified as Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of India's foreign intelligence agency in Canada. This led to a full-scale diplomatic war between the two countries. Nonetheless, Canadian authorities have not filed charges on anyone over the killing.

The row over the killing led Indian students to explore educational opportunities in alternative countries, a spokeswoman for the minister said.

C Gurus Ubramanian, counsellor for the High Commission of India in Ottawa, noted that certain Indian international students are considering alternatives to Canada due to "concerns, in the recent past, regarding lack of residential and adequate teaching facilities" at some Canadian institutions.

Indians have constituted the most significant cohort of international students in Canada in recent years, accounting for over 41 per cent -equivalent to 225,835-of all permits issued to them in 2022.

"I can't tell you about how the diplomatic relationship will evolve, particularly if police were to lay charges," Miller said. "It's not something that I see any light at the end of the tunnel on."

Canadian universities heavily rely on international students, contributing approximately C$22 billion ($16.4 billion) annually, making any decline a significant setback for these institutions.

However, the Canadian government has been actively working to decrease the overall influx of international students, partly in response to an ongoing housing shortage. According to Miller, the current volume of incoming students has become unmanageable and needs a substantial reduction over a short period.

To tackle this issue, Miller mentioned that the government plans to implement additional measures in the first half of this year, potentially including a cap on the number of international students.

Canada's appeal to international students is heightened by the relatively accessible work permits available after completing courses. The government aims to address the perceived generosity of the postgraduate work permit program and plans to crackdown on "fly-by-night" universities, also known as designated learning institutes.