FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MP Jenny Kwan Statement on the Auditor General's Report on the International Student Program
The Auditor General report confirms what many students, communities and post-secondary institutions have been saying for years: under Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney, the Liberal government has allowed the International Student Program to drift into disorder—failing both the people who come here in good faith and the communities that rely on a fair, well-managed system. Without a transparent structure and process, the politically driven policy lurches have had devastating effects for students and for the post-secondary sector as a whole.
The findings expose a system that has been neglected at the top while ordinary people pay the price. For years, the government allowed bad actors—unscrupulous recruiters and exploitative institutions—to take advantage of international students, many of whom arrive in Canada with hopes of building a better life. Instead of protecting them, the system left them vulnerable to fraud, abuse, overwhelming debt, and uncertainty. Now, rather than fixing those structural problems, the government has lurched to the other extreme.
The rushed cap on study permits is a clear example of policy driven by political pressure rather than principle. After years of inaction, the Liberals abruptly imposed sweeping cuts that have hit smaller provinces and communities the hardest. Atlantic Canada and the Prairies—regions that depend on international students to sustain local economies and public institutions—have seen reductions of 59 percent or more, despite earlier assurances. Even more troubling, the department admits it cannot explain why approval rates fell so far below projections. The government's policies have been driving the chaos and putting post-secondary institutions deep into deficits and job cuts.
This pattern of neglect followed by overcorrection reflects a government reacting to hysterical political criticism from Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives instead of leading with a clear, humane, and evidence-based vision. Canadians deserve better than policies that swing back and forth depending on the political winds, leaving students, workers, communities, and post-secondary institutions caught in the middle.
A fair immigration system must be built on integrity, transparency, and respect for the people it affects. That means cracking down on exploitation, properly resourcing enforcement, and ensuring that international students are treated with dignity—not as revenue streams or political talking points.
Under Mr. Trudeau and now Mr. Carney, we have seen the consequences of a system shaped by sudden politically driven decisions and policy reversals. It is time to build an immigration system that is stable, accountable, and rooted in long-term planning, not short-term political calculation and issues management.
