The House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (the Committee) asked the Government of Canada to issue open work permits to international students who do not have enough funds to live and study in Canada. The Committee aimed to assess the recruitment and acceptance rates of foreign students in Quebec and across Canada, as well as francophone Africans from countries with refusal rates ranging from 80% to 100%. The high refusal rates for African students, most of whom are black, have fueled accusations of systemic racism in Canada’s immigration system. During its hearings, the Committee was told that the high refusal rate of international students is also a missed opportunity for Canada.
