Close Reading

Yes, Canada’s asylum system is currently facing intense scrutiny due to record-high claim volumes and allegations of systemic fraud. THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM Backlog Explosion: The inventory of pending asylum claims has surged significantly, reaching approximately 300,000 active cases as of late 2025. Rising Claim Volumes: Annual claims reached a record 190,000 in 2024, though they decreased by about a third in early 2025 following new policy measures. Removal Gap: Criticisms have been raised regarding the low rate of deportations; reports indicate that 86% of rejected claimants remain in Canada. SOURCES OF "BOGUS" CLAIMS International Student Surge: There has been an "alarming trend" of international students claiming asylum to remain in the country after their study permits expire or in response to new caps on student visas. Fraud Networks: Investigations have highlighted vulnerabilities where unauthorized agents and transnational fraud networks counsel migrants to submit fabricated narratives or forged documents. "Rubber-Stamping" Allegations: A recent report by the C.D. Howe Institute warned that a paper-based "fast-track" system for certain high-risk countries may be bypassing essential security screenings and in-person questioning. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT Healthcare Costs: The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), which provides medical benefits to claimants, saw its budget jump from roughly $66 million to over $1 billion annually. Policy Shift: To reduce incentives for non-genuine claims, the government is introducing a co-pay system for supplementary health services (like dental and vision) starting May 1, 2026. CONSEQUENCES OF FRAUD For individuals, filing a "bogus" or misrepresented claim carries severe penalties: A five-year ban from entering or remaining in Canada. Permanent record of fraud with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Loss of current temporary or permanent resident status

GOVERNMENT AND IRCC SHOULD START NOW HUNTING THESE ILLEGAL STUDENTS AND DEPORT THEM!

I came as student in 2013 I am now Canadian from past 5 years. I just want to mention government is to blame for They earned so much money from international students. I studied with Ukrainian Chinese Mexican and Russian students . They weren't good in English as well But they all worked very hard and very dedicated. Initially it was difficult find job they asked young students for Canadian experience which obviously none of the students had Ircc is laziest department. Even college cares about fees only. Because if student leave the college they don't get back the fees. So they are absolutely fine with this kind of fraud. .and private college are worst among everything. Students doesn't have to attend college. The fraud is now they just gets degrees and some else studies for them. Canada is not corrupt but Canadian politicians to get votes made Canada curupted. Covid benefits fueled this . Downhill started with Covid ended.

Canada allowed so many students to come, charging $40-50k on average, and kept bringing in more. Now they're claiming that the number of students and their dependents is the problem? IRCC marketed the pathway to PR after studies like cheese on a mousetrap. And now, with elections approaching, they've started the blame game. It's utterly idiotic. In this advanced world, do you really think the government didn’t realize how many people were immigrating here?

A Pakistani talking about Indian immigration, and listen to this... the biggest blunder he makes is by saying that he is feeling more unsafe in Canada than in Pakistan. Jesus, people these days are so out of touch???.... Boy, your own home country is a failed state and the biggest terrorist hub on the planet,,, FACTSSSS. You should start identifying as Canadian (which I hope you are ?) rather than telling immigrants to go back to their own countries. If you want, you can gladly go back yourself. Canada is a nation built by immigrants. Let's not forget that.\n\nI agree with Harrison that immigration has been excessive and has gone out of control in Canada over the past few years, and I would say the current government is mostly to blame. They should tighten regulations regarding study permits and issue visas only to genuine students who want to grow in this beautiful country, rather than those planning to work at pizza shops for the rest of their lives. We also need to crack down on the aggressive sales practices of immigration consultants in developing nations like India. Let's not forget the big culprits behind this: the admissions officers of the colleges, who fully endorse these practices to meet their revenue targets by any means possible, all under the watchful eyes of the government and IRCC.\n\nI've witnessed this firsthand. I openly challenge those consultants and Canadian college admission officers to be upfront with prospective and future students and tell them in person, before accepting their applications, that a study permit does not guarantee permanent residency in Canada. Explain the rules behind that and see what happens next—people will stop coming to Canada altogether. Consultants and colleges need to be honest with their prospective students and not just include those important facts in a fine print under a bunch of paperwork. \n\nAnd my god, the programs most colleges sell—useless diplomas that are of no use in their home countries either. They won't even get a job as a busboy using those useless diplomas and certificates back home....\n\nI'd love to talk with you if you like, Harrison, as I'm a former international student and now a proud Canadian citizen.

I'm an immigrant and my immigrant friends and I were talking about exactly this just the other day. I'd like to add some context on why so few international students stay: they can't. Schools prey on this very fact. In international recruiting, these schools use the promise of thriving local industries and trot out graduates working locally as major draws to these expensive programs. Then once students are in Canada, many of these schools couldn't care less: they offer little or sometimes no housing support, no immigration advice (or in my case and many of my friends' cases: they give straight-up false immigration advice that can screw you over or even get you in trouble). There absolutely needs to be regulation and accountability for these predatory schools; I think a good starting point would be capping the number of visas they can apply for based on the number of housing units available (either on-campus or via local development subsidy and homestays). Tons of students come to Canada completely unprepared due to false promises made by these schools, and then get spit out into an egregiously inefficient and broken work visa system.\nMy immigrant friends and I are all highly skilled in our specific field. There are only a handful of people in the world (let alone in Canada) who can do what I do at the level I do it, so I would be incredibly difficult to replace if I left Canada. Despite that, and despite being Canadian-educated (Canadian resources invested in me that you'd want to keep in Canada), remaining in Canada has been a massive struggle for me and my friends. We individually spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars every year to apply for permits that have to be renewed annually, but take the government 6+ months to process. Because the government is so backed up, we have to apply for *extra* permits to bridge that gap (more money, and more work added to IRCC's already-long line of applications). I'm in limbo for the majority of the year where I can't switch employers, can't leave the country, etc. It's horrible. \nBut I have it better than most. Of the international students in my year, only I and one other student are still in Canada because the transition to work permits is so needlessly long and difficult. Even a graduate who does manage to get a work permit might have to sit unemployed for 6 months or more before that permit is active. How is a student supposed to survive without work for that long? In order for employers to even apply to sponsor a graduate, they often have to do a lengthy labor market impact assessment, and so these graduates are stuck in a holding pattern, and they're the lucky ones. Immigration is absolutely vital to Canada and I hate how quickly these stories turn to xenophobic rhetoric, but we have to make space in the conversation to take a look at how schools are exploiting students and policy loopholes, and why they're doing it, and address those problems. The current system isn't fair to anyone.