The report revealed that over 50,000 unaccounted-for students who arrived in Canada on study permits were primarily from India, which recorded 19,582 students, followed by China with 4,279, Nigeria with 3,902, and Ghana, which ranked fourth on the top 20 countries list.
The report was conducted between March and April 2023, as universities and colleges in Canada are required by the immigration department to submit biannual reports on the status of international students, globeandmail.com indicated.
These reports verify whether students are complying with their study permits, including their enrollment and attendance in classes.
Ghanaian international students who have remained compliant and are actively attending classes totaled 5,881, representing 67.4% of the enrolled students.
Other African countries with missing students include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Algeria, and Cameroon.
The incident has raised major concerns about the abuse of the education system by foreign nationals, as well as issues of visa fraud.
Meanwhile, immigration experts in Canada have proposed that foreigners seeking to study in Canada should be required to pay their tuition fees upfront before traveling to the country.
They stated that this measure would help eliminate loopholes that allow individuals to exploit the system and prevent foreigners from entering Canada under the pretense of education.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
