Canada is thwarting Algerian students

Posted On: May 23, 2023

Immigration – Algeria Visa and Travel – Canada faces lively controversy over obtaining residence and entry visas for foreign students, particularly African students, a significant proportion of whom are Algerians.

According to a study by the Institut du Québec, almost half of the French-speaking students admitted to universities in Quebec are denied entry to Canadian territory. For African students from countries like Algeria, Senegal, Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, this situation even reaches an alarming rate of 72%. The Quebec Minister of Immigration and elected representatives of the opposition denounce this absurd situation and call for a change.

Quebec, which is actively trying to attract African students to its universities, faces major obstacles in obtaining residency visas for these students. Canadian authorities appear to fear that these students will choose to remain in Canada after their studies.

Emma Braham from the Institut du Québec also points to the difficulties that African students face when applying for a visa. For example, Ivorian students have to provide a large number of documents to prove their financial capacity to finance their studies and life there, much more than, for example, American students.

This situation is all the more paradoxical as Canada plans to attract more than 460,000 newcomers this year. For Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, who advocates for Quebec’s independence, French-speaking African students play an essential role in the future of Francophonie: “The future of Francophonie is in Africa.” And the future of Quebec is up French. That’s why we need these people to form a unified francophone community, and we need these students to come here to Quebec, build their lives here, and then become Quebec ambassadors in their country.

Quebec hopes Canada will change its administrative approach to make it easier for African students to be admitted. It is important to appreciate this diversity and to recognize the valuable contribution these students can make to the Francophone community and to Quebec as a whole.

An Algerian equates Algeria with Afghanistan to gain asylum in Canada

In addition, the statement by Mélissa Niati, an Algerian woman who has applied for asylum in Canada, has caused widespread outrage. The young woman equated Algeria with Afghanistan with the aim of gaining refugee status, prompting a wave of hostile reactions on social media.

Mélissa Niati and her family’s asylum application was rejected by Canada’s immigration authorities after a four-year process. Following this decision, the young woman’s employer contacted well-known radio host Paul Arcand to draw attention to her situation.

Mélissa claimed her father was a businessman and faced theft and fraud. She added that her father suffered many injustices and threats, leading them to leave Algeria to settle in Canada. She also said that she and her mother did not wear a veil and that they did not meet the “criteria of a good Muslim” and that in Algeria they had to live in secrecy and fear.

However, the young woman also compared Algeria to Afghanistan, saying the situation for women outside Algiers is worse due to the presence of many “radical Muslims”. This statement was received very negatively in Algeria, where many netizens expressed their indignation and anger.

Many Algerians have denounced the fact that Mélissa Niati equated her country with Afghanistan, saying Algeria is a stable and safe country. They also pointed out that women in Algeria have the right to work and dress as they please, contrary to what the young woman had implied.