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As per the government, these graduates were given an extended period to fill roles of pressing needs in the key sector to help Canada recover from the losses in the pandemic and facilitate the reopening of the economy.
“I’m sitting at home and living off of my savings and not knowing how long I’d have to do that. I regret choosing Canada as a country to immigrate to, study and live in. Canada should appreciate foreign students more, not just use them as a form of cheap labour,” ” Daniel D’Souza, an accountant and former student at Seneca College near Toronto told Bloomberg.
“When they needed us, they exploited us. But when we need their help or support, nobody shows up. We pay fees and taxes and aren’t getting anything in return. You don’t recognize that we’re the people who helped you solve the labour shortage,” Anshdeep Bindra, a former consultant at Ernst and Young in Toronto was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
These students who once helped the country’s economy get back on its feet in the hope of better immigration rankings and other benefits are now left bereft and are struggling to make ends meet. Their future is full of uncertainty and even if their applications are eventually successful, they have to live off months without a job, health or security.
Canadian govt’s response
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser’s department in a statement acknowledged the cultural and social benefits foreign students bring to the table and said it is considering ways to help these students get settled in Canada on a permanent basis.
Now, the Trudeau government, which is planning to welcome a record number of new immigrants over the next three years to offset an ageing workforce, is scheduled to announce updated targets Tuesday morning in Toronto.