Hundreds of Indian students have been told to leave the Canadian province, Prince Edward Island (PEI), due to changes in immigration issues, India Today reported.

Indian students in Canada have been protesting against deportation since May 9 as they say that they would continue to fight for their rights as it is a “now-or-never situation”.

They have called an assembly meeting on May 23 at 175 Richmond Street, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Hindustan Times reported that a group of students alleged that they had been denied work permits despite completing their studies.

“We have three demands that we are focusing on,” the leader of the protesters, Rupinder Pal Singh, said.

Singh has demanded inclusion into the Provincial Nominee Program system because the immigrants were working on valid work permits before the new rules.

He called for conducting draws equitably, without heavily relying on a “rigid points-based system” that makes it nearly impossible for younger immigrants in sectors like sales, services, food, and trucking to qualify.

The protesters demand that their work permits be extended to compensate for the lost time and opportunities caused by the government’s changes to the immigration policies and the resulting economic issues.

“Our province gave us false hopes,” Singh said.

According to CBC News, the PEI government announced it would cut the number of immigrants it nominates for permanent residency through the PNP by 25% in 2024. It also said certain occupations like healthcare and construction would be prioritized.

Provincial Nominee Program

PEI has recently made changes to its PNP, which allows the province to nominate immigrants for permanent residency. PEI has reduced the number of immigrants it will nominate through this program by 25% in 2024, citing the strain on the province’s healthcare system and housing market.

The PNPs allow provinces and territories to select immigrants who can contribute to the local economy and help meet regional labor and skill shortages. Each province and territory has its PNP with unique eligibility criteria, application processes, and streams tailored to their specific needs.

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According to the Indian ministry of external affairs, the government was unaware of such reports.

“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,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while briefing the media.