The protests have been going on since May 9, as the province looks to cut down the number of nominees for permanent residency through the Provincial Nominee Program by 25% in 2024, owing to pressure on its healthcare system and housing market.
The new rules, announced in February, prioritise immigrants working in specific occupations, such as healthcare and construction, in the province. This means individuals in retail, food, and service industries may not have their work permits extended once they expire.
P.E.I is also looking to reduce the number of sales and service workers it nominates from more than 800 in 2023 to roughly 200 this year, according to a report by CBC.
Despite an over 80% drop in the study permits issued to Indians in the fourth quarter of last year, as per a report by Reuters, 41% of all international students in Canada were from India in 2023.
Though many of them are known for enrolling in universities in Ontario and British Columbia, smaller, less populated provinces like P.E.I have gained traction in recent years.
But the Dennis King administration’s plans to slow P.E.I’s population growth – which was projected to reach 200,000 residents by 2027-28 – has come as a shock for the graduates-turned-workers in the province.
“We are aware of as many as 300 graduates in P.E.I, working in retail and service industries, whose work permits will be expiring in the next 1-2 months. Many Indian graduates in PEI want to stay here and be taken seriously.
“Instead, rules were changed overnight which has deeply impacted them,” said Manpreet Kaur, a volunteer for Montreal Youth Student Organisation, an organisation representing the rights of Indian and Punjabi immigrants in Canada.
The three main demands made by the protestors are:
- Grandfathering into the PNP System. Students who were in Canada before the policy change and had legitimate work permits should be permitted to stay under the previous framework.
- Fair PNP draws without a points system. Many students have been impacted by the latest PNP draws’ exclusion of industries like sales and services. The demonstrators claim that the existing point system, requiring 65 points, is almost impossible to obtain for people under the age of 25.
- Extension of work permits. This would give protestors more time to fulfil the new PR requirements, students are requesting an extension of their work permits.
The protests are not just limited to the streets, as about 150 international student-turned-workers reached the doorsteps of P.E.I’s legislative assembly on May 23 – demanding the province to exclude immigrants already residing on the Island, The PIE learned.
Moreover, the protestors have been taking part in a dry hunger strike, avoiding the consumption of any liquids, in Charlottetown since May 28 – which they intend to continue until their demands are met.
“We are planning to hold a 24-7 hunger strike if the rules don’t change by May’s end,” said an Indian graduate in P.E.I, protesting against the changes, who didn’t wish to be named.
Though provincial governments in Canada can manage PNPs as per their objectives; the federally-run IRCC in Canada has the ultimate discretion in administering and finalising permanent residency applications.
With such a situation preventing the province from increasing the quota, Jenn Redmond, P.E.I’s minister of workforce has instead suggested people with expiring work permits to consider signing up for a training program in one of the high-priority areas, which include nurse aides, transport truck drivers, construction trades and industrial butchers, among others.
“We have to think about those workforces that have those very pressured areas, that we do need to focus those allocations toward,” Redmond told CBC.
The changes have also worried employers in the province, who questioned King over the impact they will have on the workforce, during the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting.
“We’re monitoring this on a very regular basis, and we’ll make some changes if we need to,” stated King, while responding to a question posed by a Chamber member – but vowed to stick to the plan.
We have to think about those workforces that have those very pressured areas
Jenn Redmond
The protesters have also presented MLAs in the province with over 40 letters addressed to Premier King, written by employers in the region, asking the government to exclude individuals already working in P.E.I.
Many Liberal, Green, and Opposition politicians have also come out in support of the workers, citing the decision as “cruel and unfair”.
It comes a year after many Indian graduates across Canada protested deportation orders against them over fake admission letters; the deportations were eventually halted after the Canadian government decided to do a case-by-case review.
According to Daljit Nirman, an Indian-originated legal expert and law professor based in Ottawa, frequent protests by Indian and international students speak to a larger problem in Canada.
“In my opinion, the chaos in various provinces, including Prince Edward Island, stems from aggressive recruitment practices by college and university lobbyists. These institutions, driven by profit, have enlisted agents with hefty commissions, leading to uncontrolled international student enrollments.
“This surge has overwhelmed educational infrastructure and local communities, resulting in housing shortages, limited services, and diminished educational quality,” Nirman told The PIE.
“Furthermore, the government must uphold its promises and ensure that students who came here legally by spending huge sums of money are supported and not left as victims of past mistakes. Efforts should be made to rehabilitate them, providing the necessary support and resources. They should not be victimised by sudden policy changes,” added Nirman.