OTTAWA — India's high commissioner to Canada has praised the immigration policies of former prime minister Stephen Harper and Conservative cabinet minister Jason Kenney, while criticizing the quality of international students admitted to Canada in recent years.In an interview with CPAC, Dinesh Patnaik said Canada should return to an immigration strategy focused on attracting highly qualified students and workers, pointing to the approach taken under the former Conservative government.“If you go back to the point system during Prime Minister Harper's and Kenney's time, that worked very well,” Patnaik said. “You got some of the top talents.”He contrasted that period with more recent immigration trends, particularly the admission of international students who he suggested would not qualify for university admission in India.“It's only in the last few years that you've gotten people who even in India have not gotten a university admission,” he said.Patnaik argued that Canada and India should work together to strengthen student recruitment standards and ensure international education benefits both countries.“Right now is a time for Canada to crack down and for us to help Canada crack down because I don't want students who cannot even get a university admission in India trying to get it here,” he said..The comments amount to an unusually pointed assessment of Canadian immigration policy from India's top diplomatic representative in Ottawa, particularly given India's position as one of Canada's largest sources of international students.Harper governed from 2006 to 2015, while Kenney served as minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism from 2008 to 2013.The Conservative government introduced several immigration reforms, including changes to the selection of economic immigrants and the launch of Express Entry in January 2015, which ranked eligible candidates according to factors such as education, language proficiency and work experience.The subsequent Liberal government substantially expanded immigration, including international student admissions, before introducing restrictions as concerns grew over housing affordability, educational standards and the capacity of public services.Statistics Canada figures show international enrolment at public colleges increased from 58,125 students in the 2014-15 academic year, near the end of Harper's government, to 288,798 in 2023-24 under Justin Trudeau.Indian students accounted for 161,724 international students at public colleges in 2023-24, compared with 11,820 in 2014-15.The proportion of international postsecondary students attending public colleges also increased from 26.7% to 50.4% over the same period.The figures illustrate the scale and changing composition of Canada's international education sector, although they do not independently establish whether student qualifications declined.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reported that more than 533,000 Indian nationals held Canadian study permits at some point in 2023, representing approximately 41% of all study permit holders that year.The Liberal government began tightening the international student system in 2024, introducing a cap on study permit applications and additional restrictions intended to address abuses and reduce pressure on housing and services.Patnaik said students already educated in Canada should nevertheless have opportunities to contribute to both countries.“But those who have come here, they are trained now in the Canadian system. We need to make sure that they can contribute both to the Canadian and Indian system,” he said.He said he was working with Canadian government officials, universities and other institutions on a broader talent and innovation strategy.The objective, he explained, should be to recruit people with skills Canada needs, whether their education and training take place in Canada, India or elsewhere.Patnaik's latest comments follow his earlier interview with the Western Standard, in which he discussed Canada-India relations and issues affecting the Indian diaspora..His remarks come as Ottawa and New Delhi seek to strengthen bilateral relations following several years of diplomatic tensions under the Trudeau government.
