Some Quebec junior colleges say Ottawa denies 80 to 90 per cent of study permits from Africa

In its 20-page response, the Canadian government acknowledged the issues that were raised and committed to working with the Quebec government on study permits.

Some Quebec junior colleges say 80 to 90 per cent of the international students they’ve accepted from Africa are being refused study permits by the federal government, jeopardizing their ability to offer programs and raising questions about bias in the immigration system.

At the CEGEP de la Gaspésie et des Îles, in eastern Quebec, only two of 19 students from Africa who were accepted to the school and requested permits were able to secure one, according to its general manager. At Collège d’Alma, in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region, 20 students out of 139 got permits.

Representatives of both colleges say that, in comparison, virtually every student who applies from France is accepted.

Yolaine Arseneau, the manager of the Gaspé junior college, says the number amounts to an 89 per cent refusal rate for African students. “We find that enormous,” she said.

In a phone interview, she said the situation is frustrating for the college, which goes to great lengths to recruit international students, only to have efforts fall flat. Not to mention the impact on the students themselves.

“It must be very discouraging for them,” she said.

Frédéric Tremblay, the communications head at Alma College, says there appears to be a “distortion” between the federal government and the province — particularly in regions outside greater Montreal, which are faced with an aging population and a labour shortage.

He said the main reason given for refusing study permits is that authorities don’t believe the applicant will return home after studying — even as the province hopes to retain them. “It’s advantageous for Quebec to go find students who already speak French and who we can train here to keep them in the workforce,” he said.