Concern, confusion for Manitoba student body reacting to federal cap on international students

Major educational institutions and students in Manitoba are weighing in on the federal government’s push to cap the number of international students that can come into the country.

In an announcement on Monday, federal immigration minister Marc Miller said the limit is temporary and will be imposed for two years. He said it would reduce the intake of international students by 35 per cent over that period.

On average, approximately 364,000 study permits could be expected to be approved this year.

Reacting to the news, three post-secondary institutions in the province told Global News in statements that they will continue to welcome some international students, all the while figuring out how the cap would affect their institutions.

“It is still too early to speculate about what kind of impact this may have at RRC Polytech, and we remain committed to working with the province and federal government to fully understand how these new measures will be implemented,” stated part of the statement by RRC Polytech.

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“International students bring a wealth of knowledge, new perspectives, and cultures to Manitoba’s communities, schools, and workplaces. RRC Polytech has always taken an incremental and balanced approach to international student recruitment.”

The University of Manitoba, in a separate statement, said it was too early to determine the impact of the federal measure on the university.

“We look forward to working with the province and the federal governments to fully understand how the caps will affect each institution across the country, including (the University of Manitoba),” said part of their statement.

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Similarly, the University of Winnipeg noted it was reviewing the announcement and the impact it could have on the institution. It further added that it will continue to provide an “excellent quality of education for every student who joins our community.”

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According to Miller, the cap on student intake will be applied differently for each province. This means that some provinces could see more study permits being approved than others.

Tomiris Kaliyeva, president of the University of Winnipeg’s student association, said the information coming from Ottawa is confusing. For international students on campus, Kaliyeva said they are left feeling scared including with things like the status of their work permits.

“We come in here, we work, and we get our own money. We’re not begging for anyone’s money We can’t even get bursaries or loans most of the time. Here we are being blamed for everything in the country,” said Kaliyeva.

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“We pay so much tuition and we contribute so much to the economy and to the workforce. I think blaming us is extremely unfair.”

Alongside the conversation to limit the intake, Christine Quiah, the association’s vice-president of student affairs, said officials have so much to improve on for students as well as community residents. Highlighting the need for better housing and measures to make downtown Winnipeg safer, Quiah also noted that policies should be in place in case federal measures means more international students come to Manitoba.

“If there are more international students coming or just people coming to this province, I feel like there should be policies within the province that should… deal with such influx… that means maybe the tuition fees can be readjusted or like we don’t know,” Quiah said.

“The province should actually lay out a plan B for dealing with the influx if it happens.”

According to Mark Frison, president of the Assiniboine Community College, of the institution’s 9,000 students, approximately 2,000 are international students. Many who graduate, he said, stay in the province.

It’s a part of a strategy between the province and institutions that he said hopes to grow the population and get skills needed into the province.

“If we’re looking to help address the housing situation and we need more people to help build houses, why not create a special stream for apprenticeship programs?” said Frison, who noted he’s sent a letter to the federal immigration minister about an opportunity that would encourage international students to join a career in the trades.

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As for the current federal measure, he noted that details need to be clarified in the short run as things like student visa processes and immigration tend to have “lots of moving pieces.”

— with files from Global’s Iris Dyck.

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