Sheehan responds to Sault College's concerns about cap on international students

Sault MP Terry Sheehan says a number of "bad actors" who are exploiting international students is the reason why the federal government recently announced a cap on the number able to study in Canada over the next two years.

The cap — 360,000 approvals for 2024, divvied up between provinces on the basis of population — will result in a 50 per cent decrease in permits in Ontario, which accepts by far the most international students in Canada.

As noted in recent article by Village Media's The Trillium, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has likened the "bad actor" schools to "puppy mills," with some offering "sham commerce degrees" in office space above massage parlours that no one actually goes to — while their students drive Ubers instead.

Earlier this week, Sault College president David Orazietti said he is concerned about the impact the cap will have on the international students it enrols, especially at its partner campuses in southern Ontario.

In an interview with SooToday, Orazietti said the revenue provided by Sault College’s public-private partnership with Toronto-based TriOS College is significant, equivalent to about one-third of its overall budget.

“We are very concerned about the financial implications for Sault College but we will be doing everything that we can to advocate for Sault College with the provincial government and the federal government in particular,” Orazietti said in the interview.

Asked about the cap during a funding announcement on Wednesday, Sheehan said colleges and universities are the responsibility of the provincial government, while the immigration piece is overseen by the federal government.

"There are a lot of bad actors out there that are very greedy and they are bringing these international students without any supports — including housing, food, which is putting pressures all across the place,” he said.

Sheehan specifically pointed Kitchener-based Conestoga College, which has more than 20,000 international students enrolled per yer. In contrast, Sault College has about 1,000 international students.

“I am not suggesting it was just Conestoga, there are also private ones they call strip mall colleges, where really there is no accountability,” said Sheehan.

It will be up to provincial governments to determine the best way for the lower number of students under the new cap to receive an education.

“The province has to come back to us with a plan in the next few months as to how they are going to accomplish that, so it’s going to be up to the colleges and universities to demonstrate to the Ford government that they have excellent programming and that students are looked after and I am confident that Sault College and Algoma University will be able to demonstrate that,” said Sheehan. 

— with files from The Trillium