In a recent interview, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller disclosed a significant decline in study permits issued to Indian students in the aftermath of a diplomatic dispute between Canada and India.
The strained relations emerged after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implicated Indian government agents in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
The diplomatic fallout, which led to the expulsion of Canadian diplomats from India, resulted in a drastic 86% drop in study permits issued to Indian students in the fourth quarter of last year. Official data revealed a decline from 108,940 permits in the previous quarter to 14,910.
“Our relationship with India has really halved our ability to process a lot of applications from India,” Miller said, adding that he believes this number is unlikely to rebound soon.
However, Reuters reports that according to C. Gurusubramanian, counselor for the High Commission of India in Ottawa, Indian students are exploring alternative study destinations because of “concerns, in the recent past, regarding lack of residential and adequate teaching facilities” at some Canadian institutions.
Indians have historically constituted the largest group of international students in Canada, comprising over 41% of all permits in 2022.
Miller emphasized that the strained diplomatic relationship could have lasting effects, impacting the cash flow from international students, which annually contributes about CA$22 billion (US$16.4 billion) to Canadian universities.
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