World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Fewer international students adding to university budget challenges (CTV News)
Universities across Canada cite that they are facing steeper financial constraints as they navigate declining enrollment from international students. Additionally, many argue that inadequate provincial operating grants are a factor in ongoing budget challenges for post-secondary institutions. According to Universities Canada president Gabriel Miller, tuition and fees from international student enrolment had provided a critical funding stopgap that has since been impacted by the drastic reduction in study permits and admittances. Budgetary issues are being experienced nationwide, forcing many institutions to close campuses, reducing programming, and laying off staff. Montreal’s McGill University is projecting a $45 million deficit for the next fiscal year, due in part to enrolment reductions. The University of Waterloo is looking to cut spending by $42 million to stave off a $75 million deficit, while the University of Regina plans to raise domestic tuition by four percent to cover critical operating fees.
Mandate Letter, Prime Minister of Canada (PMO)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney released his official mandate letter, outlining goals and directives given to cabinet members to deliver for the public. In the past, Prime Ministers have often delivered individual mandate letters to each minister. However, a singular letter has been provided this time, demonstrating a collective response to core priorities facing the nation. The economy, housing, and immigration were among pressing concerns highlighted within the letter along with a need to correct policies introduced during the previous government. Regarding immigration, Minister Carney reiterated his interest in stabilizing levels to ensure a balanced approach to population growth that is aligned with housing and public service capacity. The letter also included plans to tailor the immigration system towards “attracting top talent” and updating the Global Skills Strategy framework to bring key professional talent from abroad to build Canada and support critical sectors within the economy.
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Trade war heightens risks for immigrant factory workers (Policy Options)
The US government has imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automotive exports. This decision has been seen by many experts as a blow not only to US-Canada trade relations but to the manufacturing industry. The sector, like many others that sustain the Canadian economy, relies heavily on immigrant labour and these workers stand to be impacted. Current analysis suggests that thousands of newcomers who depend on stable factory jobs will feel the impacts of tariff shocks more closely. Between 2010 and 2021, the manufacturing sector lost 159,000 Canadian-born workers, a gap that was filled partially by 46,000 new and recent immigrants. While Canada attracts highly educated and skilled newcomers, many encounter longstanding challenges including a lack of credential recognition and limited social capital to fall back on, advocates worry that potential layoffs within the manufacturing sector may subject many to even more precarious and disparate socio-economic conditions.
Groups mount legal challenge against Ottawa over refugee treaty with U.S. (Globe & Mail)
The Canadian federal government is facing a legal challenge to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), a treaty that advocacy groups are calling “fundamentally flawed”. The bilateral agreement between the US and Canada was enacted on the basis that both countries are considered safe for asylum seekers, preventing refugee claimants from passing through the US to seek refuge in Canada and vice versa. As part of the STCA and the Immigration and Refugee Protections Act, Canada regularly reviews each country’s human rights record and refugee protections policies. The federal government, however, has not publicized its findings since 2009. In an application for judicial review, advocacy coalitions believe that a lack of publicly available information on oversight for the treaty, shields the government from accountability – and extreme cases could violate the Constitution. After sweeping measures to crackdown on unauthorized immigration many asylum seekers and human rights coalitions feel that migrants may be at even greater risk of discrimination, detention, deportation. Next steps of the challenge are to urge the federal government to provide timely and transparent reviews of the agreement to ensure the safety of those at greatest risk.
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