Hundreds of Indian students in Prince Edward Island, Canada, are protesting a sudden change in the province’s immigration rules that could lead to their deportation. Despite the escalating situation, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated it is not aware of the issue.
The controversy centers on modifications to the Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP), which the local government says are necessary due to strains on healthcare and housing infrastructure caused by a large influx of immigrants. These changes have led to a halt in the issuance of work permits for many students who have recently graduated.
As the protest enters its second week, the students remain adamant about continuing their fight for rights. “It’s a now-or-never situation,” declared one of the protest organizers on the social media platform X under the handle Protest Pei.
Rupinder Pal Singh, a leader of the protesting group, outlined their demands: “We want to be grandfathered into the PNP system as we were already here under valid work permits before these rules were imposed. We’re also pushing for fair PNP draws that don’t rely on a point system, which currently excludes many young immigrants under 25 due to its high score requirement. Lastly, we demand an extension of our work permits that have been nullified by these changes, leading to job losses.”
The protesters have scheduled an assembly meeting for May 23 at 175 Richmond Street, Charlottetown, to further discuss their actions and demands.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal commented on the situation, noting, “While a large number of students are studying in Canada, we haven’t seen a widespread problem with deportations. There may be isolated cases, but nothing that indicates a major issue as of now.”
The students’ plight has drawn attention to the broader challenges of immigration policy and its impact on foreign students’ lives and futures in Canada.