British Columbia, a Canadian province, has enacted a two-year ban on tertiary institutions from admitting Nigerians and other international students.
The decision was revealed by Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who stated that the measure aims to reduce new student visa issuances by 35% for the current year.
The province intends to address what Miller referred to as “exploitative practices” within the education system.
Premier David Eby emphasised the significance of addressing issues within the international education system, acknowledging its crucial role in the province’s social and economic framework.
Eby expressed concern about the varying quality standards among private institutions in the province, regardless of their size.
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Eby stated, “There are a wide array of private institutions, big and small, in our province, but regardless of the institution’s size, our expectations of the level of quality are the same.
“There are institutions that are not meeting our expectations right now,” he added.
According to reports, in the first half of 2023, nearly 18,000 study permits were granted to Nigerians in Canada, surpassing all other countries except India.