CBSA conducts status checks at Calgary international student protest

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) conducted status verifications at a protest site in Calgary where international students have been demonstrating for several weeks. The protests, involving over 1,000 graduates—many of whom are from India—are centered on the denial of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applications.

Students argue they completed programs marketed as eligible for work permits, only to have authorities later determine the programs did not qualify. Many protesters have engaged in hunger strikes to demand the right to remain and work in Canada.

During the recent enforcement action in the Saddletowne community, CBSA officers verified the status of 20 individuals. Two were found to be out of compliance with immigration rules, and 12 others were identified as potentially inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Those identified were instructed to report to a CBSA office for follow-up interviews. The CBSA stated that such inland investigations are routine enforcement tools used to identify unauthorized residents.