The president of Toronto’s Seneca College says Canada has lost “trust and credibility” in managing foreign student permits, as MPs grilled him over skyrocketing enrolment and taxpayer costs.David Agnew told the Commons immigration committee that Seneca’s international applications fell more than 80% in two years, from nearly 81,000 to under 15,000. Blacklock's Reporter says he called for “stability in the international student program” and urged that colleges be treated as “partners in building a sustainable immigration system.”Conservative MPs pressed Agnew on the college’s record. Between 2021 and 2024, Seneca enrolled more than 50,000 international students. MP Michelle Rempel Garner asked whether the federal government ever required proof of adequate housing or jobs for these students. Agnew said no. “Nothing lasts forever,” he told MPs when asked why the college continued recruiting at high levels..The committee also questioned whether students were forced into precarious living situations. Agnew insisted he was unaware of anyone “sleeping under bridges.” When asked about financial responsibility, he said Seneca does not approve permits, though international students provide significant revenue. Agnew earns over $450,000 a year.MP Costas Menegakis noted the college operates a student-run food bank and asked how many users were international students. Agnew could not provide numbers. Menegakis also criticized Seneca’s overseas operations, including two campuses in Egypt. Agnew clarified the college does not spend on construction but operates the campuses to generate revenue.Seneca’s annual report shows 53% of its students are international. MPs questioned whether domestic students were losing out. Agnew replied that the college actively recruits Canadians but faces a “very competitive market.”The controversy follows cuts to foreign study permits by then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller in 2024, after identifying colleges like Seneca for high asylum claims. “Ontario over the last three years has had over 10,000 asylum claims,” Miller said. “That isn’t the sign of a healthy system.”
