Despite the Nigerian government doubling passport fees, the determination to emigrate remains undeterred. However, the real hurdle appears not to be within Nigeria’s borders but rather in the immigration policies of destination countries, particularly Canada.

On August 27, 2024, the Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, announced a significant policy shift, imposing caps on the number of temporary foreign workers allowed into the country.

This move is part of a broader strategy to tighten immigration controls, which began with a January announcement to reduce new international student permits by 35% from the previous year, effective September 1, 2024.

The situation is dire for Nigerian students, who are among the 70,000 international students affected by these new regulations. The pursuit of education in Canada is often seen as an investment towards a better career and life. Families sacrifice significantly, financially and emotionally, to support their children’s dreams of studying abroad.

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Knee-jack policy changes now threaten to upend these aspirations, prompting a week-long protest demanding a more favourable deal, as CityNews Toronto reports. The media outlet has seen a group of students set up encampments outside the legislative assembly in places like seafood-rich Prince Edward Island. They have been protesting overnight for more than three months.

Protests like this have also happened in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. The people participating have sacrificed much to be in Canada and won’t just accept being sent back to where they came from.

Mehakdeep Singh, a former international student now facing deportation told CityNews Toronto that I spent the most crucial six years of my life taking many risks to come to Canada. For the past six years, I studied, I worked, I paid taxes, I earned enough CRS [Comprehensive Ranking System] points, but the government has just taken advantage of us.

ApplyBoard is an international study agency based in the east-central Canadian province of Ontario. Reeling statistics confirmed that for the Winter 2024 intake, nearly 70% of the applicants it processed from Nigeria were approved for their study permit, more than double the sector average for 2023. Only Indian students have had higher acceptance in a decade.

The streets of Canada have become stages for expression, with privileged Nigerian students and their international counterparts rallying for their futures.

Coming together they reflect a collective sentiment of betrayal, as many had hoped their education would pave the way to permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship.

The policy changes, particularly the reduction in work hours, could severely impact their ability to support themselves financially and gain valuable work experience during their studies.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.