Quebec seeking to limit admission of international students

The Canadian Press / Spencer Colby

The Quebec government will table a bill in the fall that would give it power to limit the number of international students entering the province to study. Premier Francois Legault told reporters on Tuesday that the measures will stop private colleges from abusing a system where they can charge students higher rates.

PM Trudeau admits Canada has "grown at a rate far beyond" what the country can handle due to temporary foreign workers and international students.

Trudeau adds the Liberals' 500K regular immigrants are "a part of the necessary growth of Canada."https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/DZqr5vLLdF

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Legault refused to say whether the bill would mostly impact the province’s two largest English-speaking universities of McGill and Concordia. He did say, however, that he did not believe the two institutions had explicitly engaged in unethical recruitment practices, as seen in other regions.

McGill says that international students make up roughly 30 percent of its student body. Concordia’s international students make up just under a quarter of its population.

Pierre Poilievre slams former Liberal immigration minister Sean Fraser for his "total incompetence" in managing the international students program and attacking "the very programs he ran up until two weeks ago". pic.twitter.com/SxFpqd8C0P

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McGill issued a statement expressing hope that "institutions which have consistently engaged in ethical and sustainable recruitment practices will not be the focus of the proposed legislation."

“We remain firmly committed to attracting, supporting and retaining the best and brightest talent,” the university said in its statement.

There are roughly 120,000 international students in Quebec, according to CityNews.

There were 1,040,985 international students in Canada at all levels of study at the end of 2023.

Trudeau is asked about the failures of Canada's immigration system, particularly for international students.

Trudeau shifts the blame, saying provinces and schools have a "heavy responsibility" in fixing these challenges. pic.twitter.com/WLoejYyUd6

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“We are confident the Quebec government will recognize the crucial importance of these contributions, as well as the complexity of the processes involved in attracting, selecting and hosting international students when developing any future legislation.”