Why Are 50,000 Students Missing from Canadian Schools? The Nigeria-India Connectio

The report states that 3,902 pupils from Nigeria and 20,000 students from India did not attend their assigned schools in 2023. Among those absent from enrollment records were 2,712 Ghanaian students.

After arriving in Canada in March and April of the same year, about 50,000 international students did not register at their assigned schools, according to a report published in January 2025.

These unenrolled students made up 6.9 percent of the 717,539 international students under surveillance at the time, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

However, 23,514 students' status was not documented, whilst 89.8% of overseas students (644,349) had their enrollment confirmed.

According to reports, some of these students are surviving on low-paying jobs, others have been duped by dishonest educational institutions, and still others utilize their Canadian study permits as a means of entering the United States illegally.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller enacted tougher rules in November 2023 to combat the abuse of study visas. Among these restrictions is the possibility of a one-year suspension for colleges and universities that do not submit reports on student compliance.

Since then, the IRCC has stepped up its surveillance to find students who are not in compliance and make sure schools fulfill their reporting obligations.

Minister Miller's spokesman, Renée LeBlanc Proctor, stated that Canada is becoming more conscious of the misuse of temporary residence visas, especially student permits.

She emphasized that worldwide migration crises and organized smuggling networks have made matters worse, calling for more stringent control.