Canada border officers conduct checks at Indian-origin students’s demonstration site

Canadian border agents checked immigration status at a Calgary protest by Indian students, raising concerns over post-graduate work permit denials.

In unprecedented action, Canadian border agents turned up at an ongoing protest by Indian-origin students in Calgary on Wednesday and checked the immigration status of some participants.

International students from India protesting against being denied post-graduate work permits, at a location in Calgary in late July. (Courtesy: Red FM Calgary)

While videos of the arrival of agents from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at the protest venue were posted on social media, the action was confirmed to the Hindustan Times by students, who did not want to be named, as well as the local outlet Red FM Calgary. The outlet Juno News reported that CBSA officers “raided” the weeks-long international student protest.

A person present at the protest said 10 to 12 people at the site were taken for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA), as immigration status of several was checked.

The protests, including a hunger strike, are linked to hundreds of international students from India being refused post-graduate work permits as they had been enrolled in non-credit courses that did not provide a certificate, diploma or a degree. The programmes were undertaken under the auspices of Portage College. Hundreds of the impacted students and supporters have participated in the protests in the Alberta cities of Calgary and Edmonton. Denial of PGWPs places their immigration status in limbo.

On Wednesday, Alberta’s Premier (equivalent of a chief minister) Danielle Smith said in a social media statement, “A student visa is a temporary document to study in Canada. That was always understood. Our universities and colleges were built by Alberta taxpayers, first and foremost for Alberta students. Where there is room for international students, the terms are simple. Earn your education, then return home to build a life with it. Rules are what make a fair system fair and our country needs to return to an immigration process that respects the rules.”

She pointedly also posted a video with Prime Minister Mark Carney. That was from an unrelated press conference in late July when the Canadian PM said, “If people don’t have authorisation to stay and they don’t have the right to claim asylum, then there’s a process that would be followed.”

According to Canadian media reports, PGWP applications can only be assessed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.