Federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab recently defended the new powers that are reportedly part of the proposed Bill C-12, including the ability to cancel, alter, or suspend foreign study permits en masse. The Government of Canada’s Bill C-12 could reportedly be used in these ways if doing so would be in the “public interest.” Minister Diab told a House of Commons committee that the measure has been introduced to “strengthen the integrity of the international student program and better protect the students.” When questioned on what constituted the “public interest,” Diab explained that the definition was left intentionally vague to allow the government to respond to a variety of situations including large-scale fraud, national security threats, and health crises. Bill C-12 will face consideration from several more committees prior to potentially becoming law.
