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Most immigrants want the Trudeau government to impose stricter policies on international students, according to a recent poll.

Among newcomers living in Canada for six years or longer, two-thirds want a rollback on international student programs. That figure increases to 77% among South Asian immigrants, according to a Leger poll.

More than half confirmed that immigration will influence the way they vote in the next general election, reported True North.

Of the 278,250 international study permits approved through September this year, India is home to 107,385 foreign students. Other countries include China at 30,240, Nigeria at 15,685, and the Philippines at 13,905. 

On the number of temporary residents allowed entry, Immigration Minister Marc Miller committed to rollbacks from 6.2% in 2023 to 5% over the next three years.

Responding to backlash over the growth in foreign students, the Trudeau government earlier said it would reduce new study permits by 35%. 

They are reportedly on track to reduce new permits by 48% from 436,678 in 2023 to an estimated 229,000 this year. The Department of Immigration tabulated 1,040,985 recipients of foreign study permits at the end of 2023.

“We don’t do everything by poll, it’s nice to know that the measure is popular. I think it’s even more important to know that these measures actually work,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller told OMNI News in response to the poll.

“Tentatively we see that these measures are working, it makes for a more manageable international student visa program,” he said.

Concerns have emerged in recent years over attempts to use Canada’s international student program to obtain permanent residency. 

Border agents are currently investigating the program over suspected fraud involving 300 students and a string of abuses. At least 10 people received visas with fake acceptance letters from post-secondary institutions.

A separate probe found 2,000 incredulous student visas and at least 1,485 applicants who also received fake letters of admission. Most came from India and China. 

Through the end of August, 12,915 foreign students also made asylum claims, constituting one in ten (119,835) refugee claims over the period. That marks a significant uptick over 2022 (4,880) and 2018 (1,835). 

Miller admitted the program is being exploited. “That should never be the promise,” he earlier said. 

“People should be coming here to educate themselves and perhaps go home and bring those skills back to their country.”

The Trudeau government proposed a federal program to offer former international students and rejected asylum claimants an application process to remain in Canada. No such program has been finalized.

The number of migrants living in Canada illegally is unknown, but an estimated 500,000 people could be in the country without status, according to an April 24 briefing note titled Undocumented Migrants.

A “large number” of legal immigrants oppose granting citizenship to queue jumpers, after spending “many years” following the rules themselves.

“… allowing ‘out of status’ workers this opportunity would be discouraging considering the many years it had taken them to acquire their permanent residency and citizenship,” said the report, Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views.

Miller earlier cheered on Canada’s population for reaching 40 million. “This is about sustaining Canada,” he said. “That is not doable without people coming in from abroad.”