Indian students in Canada pause hunger strike after meeting PEI immigration director

Indian students who are protesting in Prince Edward Island, a province in Canada, against the recent immigration policy changes have decided to pause their total hunger strike. The decision came after a meeting with Jeff Young, the director of the provincial Office of Immigration.

The hunger strike by Indian students started on May 24 and has entered its second week.

Rupinder Pal Singh, one of the protest leaders whose work permit expires on July 14, announced the pause, stating that Young encouraged them to halt the hunger strike while the government considers their demands, according to CBC News.

Rupinder Pal Singh explained that the Canadian government had all the necessary information and the protestors were waiting for a response.

“Since the government is cooperating with us, we will pause the hunger strike as requested. It seems they have understood our message and are working on it. The ball is in their court now, and we expect positive answers soon,” Singh was quoted by CBC as saying.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) Workforce Minister Jenn Redmond confirmed that Young had been in contact with the protestors throughout the hunger strike but noted that Friday marked a significant point in the discussions.

Redmond emphasised that affected individuals need to contact the Office of Immigration or her department directly to discuss their cases.

“There was some misunderstanding as each case is individual,” Redmond said. “It’s challenging to communicate through one representative. We need to meet individuals for their specific cases,” reported CBC news.

Redmond acknowledged the complexity of the situations and assured that the government would keep communication lines open to explore available pathways for those impacted.

Earlier in the week, Charlottetown member of Parliament (MP) Sean Casey urged the province to seek federal assistance to extend work permits for those most affected by the reduction in permanent residency nominations.

However, Redmond did not commit to making that request to Ottawa.

The province has received over 12,000 applications for its expression of interest draw for permanent residency but will only nominate 1,590 applicants per year.

Redmond explained that the province focusses on critical sectors such as health, education, childcare, and manufacturing.

This latest development shows a temporary pause in the protests as both sides work towards a resolution.

INDIAN STUDENTS PROTESTING IN PEI SINCE MAY 9

The Indian students have been protesting against the deportation in Prince Edward Island’s Charlottetown since May 9, with many members starting a hunger strike just over a week ago, i.e, on May 24, on the lawn in front of the George Coles Building, where the PEI Legislature is located.

On Tuesday night, some protesters escalated their demonstration by also stopping their intake of liquids to draw more attention to their cause.

As a result of the hunger strike, their health conditions were deteriorating, and some even started to faint.

The Indian students consist of prospective immigrants who claim that their lives have been significantly disrupted by the changes to the province’s immigration policy implemented in February.

These changes have made it much more difficult for individuals working in sales and service positions to be nominated for permanent residency by the province, even for those already employed on the Island.

Most of the protesters are recent graduates from Canadian universities or colleges. As international students, they were granted open work permits for three years and chose to work in a Canadian province, PEI, because of its reputation as a relatively straightforward pathway to earning permanent residency, which is the first step toward becoming a Canadian citizen.