Thousands of international students, including 3,902 from Nigeria, failed to register at their designated schools after arriving in Canada in March and April 2025, a recent report has revealed.
Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showed that these non-enrolled students accounted for 6.9% of the 717,539 international students being monitored at the time.
The report highlighted that in 2023, about 20,000 students from India, 3,902 from Nigeria, and 2,712 from Ghana did not attend their assigned institutions.
While 89.8% (644,349) of students were confirmed as enrolled, the status of 23,514 remained unrecorded.
Investigations suggest that some missing students are working low-paying jobs, others have fallen victim to fraudulent institutions, while some use Canadian study permits to illegally cross into the U.S.
In response, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter regulations in November 2023, including suspending colleges and universities that fail to report student compliance.
Canada has also strengthened monitoring efforts to detect non-compliant students and tighten control over study permits.
According to Renée LeBlanc Proctor, spokesperson for Minister Miller, organized smuggling networks and migration crises have worsened the situation, prompting the government to enhance oversight.
