International students from Iran are still waiting to find out if they will continue their education in Canada
By Erin Hudson
MONTREAL (CUP) – After suspending diplomatic relations with Iran, Iranian students studying in Canada are still waiting on directives from Ottawa as to how, or if, they will be able to continue their studies.
According to the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), about 4,000 Iranian students are affected by the government’s decision.
The CBIE, an association representing 150 Canadian universities and colleges, is spearheading lobbying efforts to obtain information from the government on future steps for Iranian students seeking consular services formerly provided through Canada’s Iranian embassy. Such services include passport and study permit renewals, documentation to exempt male Iranian students from mandatory military service, and money transfers.
“At this point we haven’t gotten too much by way of official notifications on government websites or anything like that,” said Jennifer Humphries, vice-president of membership, public policy, and communications at CBIE.
“We’ve been seeking some answers from the Canadian government [but] so far we don’t have any sense that this could be done anywhere but in Iran itself which could be a serious difficulty and impediment for students here,” she continued.
A statement from the executives of the McGill Iranian Students Association (MISA) said that students were shocked by the Canadian government’s sudden decision and many are confused as to the legal processes they must now undergo to obtain travel and immigration documents.
“When the Canadian government announced this closure, [we] don’t think they were thinking of the 400,000 registered citizens, Iranian-Canadians, who need consular services. But on top of that, there is a great number of temporary study permit holders like the students,” said MISA executives in a statement.
“Students are already under a lot of stress because of financial problems back home and other things, and this is on top of that.”
Many institutions provide emergency financial aid for students unable to access funds in the aftermath of a situation such the closure of the Iranian embassy, said Humphries.
“Students are worried,” said Pauline L’Ecuyer, director of International Student Services at McGill. The ISS held a meeting with Iranian students last week to hear their concerns and attempt to address them.
“The bottom line is really about the issuance of passports for Iranian students, and that is something that the Canadian government can certainly not do on behalf of the Iranian government,” she said.
According to an email from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the responsibility to “look after” Iranian citizens in Canada rests with the Iranian government. With the Canadian government’s approval, Iran could designate a “protecting power” to another state, entrusting this third party with managing Iran’s Canadian embassy, its property, archives and the interests of Iranians in Canada.
Humphries, however, believes the Canada can take action to address the situation of Iranian students both in and out of Canada. The first action item according to her would be the appointment of temporary duty assignments to the Canadian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, where student visas have been processed since January 2012.
“In terms of students coming in [to Canada] now and trying to have their permits processed through Ankara, our understanding is that there is a bit of a problem,” Humphries said.
She attributed the problem in Ankara to a backlog of files that could be addressed by more personnel tasked with helping to clear the documents and assist in increasing turn around times.
“According to my colleagues, there was some temporary assistance provided earlier in the summer but it would be timely to add some assistance now, because those students are definitely already missing classes,” Humphries said.
In response to concerns of renewals of documentation like passports, Humphries said the CBIE is hoping the Canadian government will take a flexible approach to potentially bypassing Tehran.
“If there could be some flexibility in extensions of study permits until such time as a system is worked out, that would be really great,” she said.
The suspension of Canadian-Iranian relations also has implications for staffing in universities across Canada. A significant number of Iranian students studying in Canada are graduate students who often occupy positions as research and teaching assistants, Humphries explained.
“So if programs were planning on having [Iranian graduate students] becomes T.A.s, there’s a real gap they’re facing now,” she continued. “This is definitely going to be an issue for the universities and particularly for the universities with large graduate programs.”
She noted the University of Alberta, University of Waterloo, McGill University and Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal as post-secondary institutions particularly concerned by the situation facing Iranian graduate students.
