33,000 Potentially Non-Compliant International Students Unaccounted for, Another 21,000 Sought Asylum: Minister

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab waits to appear as a witness at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, May 4, 2026. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Over 50,000 international students who may be non-compliant with the terms of their stay permits either filed an asylum claim or their current whereabouts are unknown, according to Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab.

Diab appeared before the House of Commons immigration committee on May 4 to testify on the findings of the auditor general’s report on the international student program.