Canada's economy is expected to suffer in the coming years due to a drop in the number of Indian students applying to Canadian universities and colleges, Former Ambassador Anil Trigunayat told Sputnik India.
The ambassador's comments followed several media reports indicating a decline in the number of Indian students applying to Canada. Additionally, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller expressed doubt that Indian student applications would recover in the near future.
Canada's 'Allegations' Impacting Indian Student Visas
"India sends a large number of students to Canada. These students also contribute a significant amount to Canada's economy, as well as sustain various Canadian universities. After [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau's allegations, both countries' ties spiralled," said Trigunayat.
In October of last year, he made a claim that Canadian agencies had uncovered the involvement of Indian government agents in the murder of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has denied these allegations and has since ceased granting visas to Canadian citizens. As a result, both countries have expelled each other's diplomats.
The Canadian government estimates that in 2023, around 900,000 international students applied to study in Canada, meaning the number has tripled from a decade ago. It is worth noting that about 40% of these students, approximately 360,000, are from India, representing the largest group.
In 2022, international students made a significant contribution of $22.3 billion to the Canadian economy, with Indian students alone accounting for approximately $10.2 billion of this sum. Additionally, it is noteworthy that Indian students sustain over 170,000 jobs in Canada, constituting a substantial part of the total of 370,000 jobs supported by international students.
Indian Students Search for New Places to Study
From July to October 2023, the number of applications fell significantly from a total of 145,881 in the same period of 2022 to just 86,562 in 2023, demonstrating a decline of almost 40 percent.
"As Canada is delaying its visa application process, students will obviously start applying to other countries as no student will prefer to delay a whole college session," said Trigunayat.
"Students are a very big marker for all countries across the world. Moreover, these students are also cheap labour who are working off campus," Trigunayat said, adding that "Canada is going to feel the pinch. Not just this, but other countries are ready to replace them, and they are much cheaper than Canada."
The Ambassador added that there is nothing India can do in this scenario, and it is only up to Canada and how they expect to compete with other countries. "If structural issues are not resolved, then people will start looking for other options; that's very normal practice," he said.
Looking Forward to What's Ahead
"It is high time that India needs to match education with international standards, as the number of students applying abroad will keep increasing every year. The rising population in India and growing income levels have made foreign education a highly accessible option for Indian students," Chopra explained.