Canada should run security checks on all international students: Senator Downe
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The continuing lack of security checks for all international students is putting Canadians at risk.
The recent disclosure by the federal immigration minister that 700 foreign students are facing deportation following the discovery that forged acceptance letters from educational institutions were used to enter the country raises questions about how carefully — if at all — these students are vetted before coming to Canada. This concerning situation is made worse given the fake enrolment scam that came to light after a public tip rather than through government investigation.
A number of these suspicious students have been identified by the Canada Border Services Agency as not attending university or college, and as being involved in criminal gangs. Since at least 2018, the Canadian government has been aware that student visas were being used to move gang members into the country.
In 2022, more than 800,000 international students came to Canada: an increase of almost a third in one year. In addition to recognized universities and colleges, there has been a surge of new colleges and schools that seem to exist to take advantage of our weak admission rules for foreign students.
This rapid and freewheeling admittance can have real-life impacts on Canadians.
As reported in my hometown newspaper, The Guardian, at 9 a.m. on September 11, 2021, a young woman walked into a Staples store in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and spoke to an employee about buying a desk. After a discussion, she walked away and continued shopping in another aisle. She was followed by the employee and sexually assaulted. The employee was in Canada under a study permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
In this case, the foreign student pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge rather than a criminal conviction. As a result, he would not have to leave Canada before completing his studies at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Since this was not the first case involving someone on a study permit who committed a sexual assault but didn’t receive a criminal conviction, citizens are wondering if students from abroad are using the threat of deportation and having to leave their studies as a “get-out-of-jail-free card.”
According to media reports, the woman has paid a high price for the sexual assault. She quit her job, suffers panic attacks and is fearful of being in stores and near strangers, while the international student gets to finish his degree.
Why is it not mandatory that all applicants for study permits be required to pass a criminal background check prior to the student visa being issued? Are we really relying only on the honour system to ensure criminals aren’t slipping in through the cracks, or on the gut instincts of immigration officers to follow up with individual applicants?
Obviously, the vast majority of international students coming to Canada are not committing offences. Indeed, they are contributing to the diversity and success of our country, but we must ensure that both Canadians and newcomers are protected by implementing and maintaining proper checks before these students come to Canada.
Foreign nationals who committed crimes should be deported and our court system — particularly our judges — needs to be aware that security checks are not done on most international students before they come to Canada.
The deportation issue is obviously a problem for some of our judges — it is essentially an additional penalty given that a criminal conviction may result in removal — but the safety of Canadians and those who abide by Canadian law during their temporary stay here should be prioritized.
As the federal minister responsible for immigration recently stated: “In general, applicants for a study permit are not required to provide a police certificate as part of their application. Applicants should check country-specific requirements for more information. Nonetheless, if the immigration officer processing the application deems it necessary when reviewing a prospective student’s application, they will ask the applicant for a police certificate.”
Evidently, the process outlined by the minister highlights massive security gaps in the present system that protects neither Canadian citizens, nor the legitimate international students who come here to study.
Senator Percy Downe represents Prince Edward Island in the Senate.
This article was published in The Hill Times on September 27, 2023.
The continuing lack of security checks for all international students is putting Canadians at risk.
The recent disclosure by the federal immigration minister that 700 foreign students are facing deportation following the discovery that forged acceptance letters from educational institutions were used to enter the country raises questions about how carefully — if at all — these students are vetted before coming to Canada. This concerning situation is made worse given the fake enrolment scam that came to light after a public tip rather than through government investigation.
A number of these suspicious students have been identified by the Canada Border Services Agency as not attending university or college, and as being involved in criminal gangs. Since at least 2018, the Canadian government has been aware that student visas were being used to move gang members into the country.
In 2022, more than 800,000 international students came to Canada: an increase of almost a third in one year. In addition to recognized universities and colleges, there has been a surge of new colleges and schools that seem to exist to take advantage of our weak admission rules for foreign students.
This rapid and freewheeling admittance can have real-life impacts on Canadians.
As reported in my hometown newspaper, The Guardian, at 9 a.m. on September 11, 2021, a young woman walked into a Staples store in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and spoke to an employee about buying a desk. After a discussion, she walked away and continued shopping in another aisle. She was followed by the employee and sexually assaulted. The employee was in Canada under a study permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
In this case, the foreign student pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge rather than a criminal conviction. As a result, he would not have to leave Canada before completing his studies at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Since this was not the first case involving someone on a study permit who committed a sexual assault but didn’t receive a criminal conviction, citizens are wondering if students from abroad are using the threat of deportation and having to leave their studies as a “get-out-of-jail-free card.”
According to media reports, the woman has paid a high price for the sexual assault. She quit her job, suffers panic attacks and is fearful of being in stores and near strangers, while the international student gets to finish his degree.
Why is it not mandatory that all applicants for study permits be required to pass a criminal background check prior to the student visa being issued? Are we really relying only on the honour system to ensure criminals aren’t slipping in through the cracks, or on the gut instincts of immigration officers to follow up with individual applicants?
Obviously, the vast majority of international students coming to Canada are not committing offences. Indeed, they are contributing to the diversity and success of our country, but we must ensure that both Canadians and newcomers are protected by implementing and maintaining proper checks before these students come to Canada.
Foreign nationals who committed crimes should be deported and our court system — particularly our judges — needs to be aware that security checks are not done on most international students before they come to Canada.
The deportation issue is obviously a problem for some of our judges — it is essentially an additional penalty given that a criminal conviction may result in removal — but the safety of Canadians and those who abide by Canadian law during their temporary stay here should be prioritized.
As the federal minister responsible for immigration recently stated: “In general, applicants for a study permit are not required to provide a police certificate as part of their application. Applicants should check country-specific requirements for more information. Nonetheless, if the immigration officer processing the application deems it necessary when reviewing a prospective student’s application, they will ask the applicant for a police certificate.”
Evidently, the process outlined by the minister highlights massive security gaps in the present system that protects neither Canadian citizens, nor the legitimate international students who come here to study.
Senator Percy Downe represents Prince Edward Island in the Senate.
This article was published in The Hill Times on September 27, 2023.