Media Roundup

The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.

Toronto Star – With dipping study permit approval rates for international students, Canada may not meet its reduced target

Canada’s processing of new study permits has fallen by half since rules were changed to rein in the number of international students, and the decline is so steep that it may not even meet its reduced 2024 target, according to the latest immigration data. The free fall is the result of a considerable drop in Indian students’ applications and the rising overall refusal rate for study permits, says an analysis of the first-quarter data from the Immigration Department.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/with-dipping-study-permit-approval-rates-for-international-students-canada-may-not-meet-its-reduced/article_eb23c5ac-2e64-11ef-b4b6-6387aa4cb2c1.html

Bloomberg – Student Visa Crackdown Begins Easing Canada Population Gains

Canada’s crackdown on its higher education industry has started to reduce the number of foreign students, an early sign the country’s rapid pace of population growth may ease over the next few years. The number of people who hold only study permits dropped by 24,594 in the first quarter, compared with a decline of 16,003 during the same period last year, Statistics Canada reported on Wednesday.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-19/student-visa-crackdown-begins-slowing-canada-population-gains

The Globe and Mail – Temporary residents in Canada rise to 2.8 million ahead of government restrictions

The number of temporary residents in Canada swelled to 2.8 million in the first quarter, underscoring the challenge facing a federal government that is looking to restrict migration to the country. Temporary residents – a group that includes international students, people here on work permits and asylum claimants – now comprise 6.8 per cent of the total population, up from 3.5 per cent two years ago, Statistics Canada reported on Wednesday. Over all, the population grew by roughly 243,000 or 0.6 per cent during the first quarter, bringing the total to more than 41 million.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-temporary-residents-in-canada-rise-to-28-million-ahead-of-government/

Financial Post – Toronto affordability improves as Canada remains ‘attractive destination’ for foreign workers: report

Despite the escalating cost of living, Canada’s biggest cities remain an attractive and affordable option for international workers compared to counterparts in North America and the rest of the world. Mercer’s 2024 Cost of Living City Ranking, released over the weekend, examined the cost of living for international workers in 226 major cities around the world. Five Canadian cities made the list, all of them landing around the midway mark. Toronto came in as the most expensive Canadian city, at 92 on the list, followed by Vancouver at 101, Montreal at 118, Ottawa at 126 and Calgary at 141.

https://financialpost.com/fp-work/despite-costs-canada-is-an-attractive-destination-for-foreign-workers-report

CBC News – ‘The housing crisis is not the immigration crisis,’ Quebec City mayor says

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand doesn’t think that the number of temporary immigrants alone is causing the housing crisis — contrary to the province’s premier. In an interview with Radio-Canada Monday, Premier François Legault said Quebec welcomed 270,000 more temporary immigrants than it did two years ago and that if there weren’t so many of them, the housing crisis would be over. “If, tomorrow morning, we didn’t double the number of temporary immigrants, we would have 100,000 housing units available. There would be no housing crisis,” he said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/housing-crisis-immigration-quebec-city-mayor-marchand-legault-1.7239499

Montreal Gazette – Temporary immigration continues climbing as Quebec’s population passes 9 million

The number of temporary immigrants has continued its strong growth in Quebec over the past year, as it becomes an increasing source of tensions between the provincial and federal governments. According to Statistics Canada data published Wednesday, there were 597,140 non-permanent residents in Quebec in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 421,149 a year earlier and 295,147 in 2022. The total has gone up in every quarter since 2021, and the portion of the total population made up of non-permanent residents has doubled to 6.6 per cent from 3.3 per cent in three years.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/temporary-immigration-continues-climbing-as-quebecs-population-passes-9-million

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