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HALIFAX — The Association of Atlantic Universities says the region’s schools have been disproportionately hurt by the Canadian government’s restrictions on international student enrolment.
The number of international students enrolled in its universities has dropped by nearly 48 per cent since the federal government imposed new restrictions in 2024, the association said.
The association said it has 3,000 fewer international students enrolled in Atlantic universities than it did last year, and universities and communities in the region are suffering as a result.
“There’s a financial impact, and there’s the impact of having fewer people in our communities to volunteer, to contribute, to buy goods and services, everything,” association CEO Ava Czapalay said in an interview Wednesday.
She said the reductions are affecting small businesses and community organizations since many international students work and volunteer where they study.
Atlantic Canada is dealing with an aging workforce, and last year the Atlantic provinces recorded the population had declined for the first time since 2020.
Czapalay said to address these issues the region needs to support talented newcomers who want to study and live in Atlantic Canada.
“The universities work very, very hard to recruit well-qualified international students who will contribute to our universities and our communities here, and many who will, when they graduate, contribute to our workforce,” she said.
“It’s a vital part of the labour market pipeline for this region, and we really hope that the federal government listens to us and works with us towards a solution,” Czapalay added.
The federal Immigration Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When former federal immigration minister, Marc Miller, announced the restrictions in 2024, he said the measures were aimed at protecting a system “that has become so lucrative that it has opened a path for its abuse.”
“Enough is enough. Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for,” he said in a statement Jan. 22, 2024
Czapalay said the federal government’s “one-size-fits-all” strategy to reduce international student numbers has resulted in fewer visa application approvals out of Atlantic Canada compared to the rest of the country.
“So our question to the federal government would be, why is that? Our universities are credible. They offer the same quality experience, sometimes we would say a better quality experience, for students. So why would our universities not have the same approval rate?” she said.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham said Wednesday the province’s university needs more international students.
“The federal government, right now, has restrictions on the number of foreign students who can come and be educated in our province,” Wakeham said after delivering a state of the province address at a St. John’s hotel. “That needs to change.”
He vowed to appeal to the federal government to allow more students from outside of the country to study at Memorial University.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
— With files from Sarah Smellie in St. John’s.
Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press
