Canada expresses concern over asylum claims by students

Canada’s immigration, refugees, and citizenship minister Marc Miller has written to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) president and chief executive officer John Murray expressing concern over a growing number of international students claiming asylum. CICC licenses and regulates Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors.

Miller cited reports that some of the students are being counselled by third parties to provide false information for claiming asylum. “Canada is dedicated to aiding individuals in need of protection. However, counselling asylum seekers to misrepresent themselves to remain in Canada or seek permanent residence would be contrary to the objectives of Canada’s immigration system,” he wrote in his letter to Murray, a copy of which was posted on X on Thursday.

Miller warned that if licensed immigration consultants were involved in misrepresentation, it would violate their professional code of conduct.

Globe and Mail reported that international students filed 13,660 asylum claims until September 30. Last year that figure was at approximately 12,000. In 2018, it was just 1810.

There has been a surge in asylum claims from Indians in Canada. Until September 30, Indians accounted for 24,380 of 132,525 asylum claims. Last year, the number was 143365 with Indians making 11260 claims. In 2015, Indians made just 380 claims out of only 160,50.

India has expressed concerns that pro-Khalistan elements were manipulating the system. In September, an official told HT that there was an increasing phenomenon of young people joining pro-Khalistan protests outside Indian missions in Canada, taking selfies, and then leaving within minutes.