Nearly 20,000 Indian students go 'missing' in Canada, says official data

Nearly 20,000 Indians who entered Canada with study permits failed to enroll in their designated colleges and universities.

Out of the 50,000-odd international students who made it to Canada’s 'no-show' list, 19,582 were Indians, placing Indian nationals on top of this list.

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed this data for the period between March and April 2024.

'No-show' Indian students

These students received study permits but did not enroll in their colleges and universities, media reports said.

Other countries with high no-show rates included China with 4,279 students, Iran (1,848 students) and Rwanda (802 students).

The data was collected under the International Student Compliance Regime, under which institutions report enrollment twice a year to ensure adherence to study permits.

Also read: Probing role of Canadian colleges, Indian entities in human trafficking: ED

Crossing over to the US

According to reports, Indian students allegedly used study permits as a pretext to enter Canada and then they illegally crossed over to the United States.

Unlike other countries, Canada does not insist that international students should pay their tuition fees before arrival, making the system more vulnerable. Indian law enforcement agencies are now investigating the alleged links between Canadian colleges and Indian organisations who are facilitating these illegal crossings from Canada to the USA.