Marie Woolf of the Globe and Mail reports that asylum claims from international students have increased by nearly 650% in the past five years. Many colleges have witnessed a particularly steep rise in asylum claims numbers since 2018, reports Woolf, with major universities showing fewer claims. In conversations with various immigration experts and critics, Woolf highlights concerns about the exploitation of the study permit program as a way to enter Canada and the use of refugee claims as a last effort to stay in Canada. Migrant Workers Alliance for Change Executive Director Syed Hussan pointed out that many students have claimed asylum due to changing political circumstances in their home countries.
Globe and Mail
