by Gang Li

Dr. Gang Li is a guest blogger who serves as the chair of the board of directors at Global Scholars Canada and assistant professor of leadership at Trinity Western University. His PhD work was in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada and was entitled “Chinese International Students’ Engagement with Democratic Discourses and Practices in Canada and the United States” (2020).

This introduction to the current crisis and its suggested faith response was prepared as a primer for a symposium with the same title planned for 7-9 pm Friday, November 14th, 2025 at Knox Presbyterian Church, 630 Spadina Avenue in Toronto. The hybrid event will be co-sponsored by Global Scholars Canada, the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation, and Knox Presbyterian Church’s Youth Ministry. We will meet in the Winchester Room of the church, and all are welcome in-person or online. (For more information, email admin@globalscholarscanada.ca)

PANELISTS:

• Dr. Gang Li – board chair of Global Scholars Canada and Assistant Professor of Leadership at Trinity Western University
• Dr. Ruth Hayhoe – professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto) and GSC board member
• Jesus Miracle Chiadika – PhD Candidate (OISE), Regional Lead (Health Employment), International Research Officer at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto.
• Yixin Jiang – PhD Candidate (OISE), International Student Immigration Advisor, University of Toronto
• Dr. Grace Karram – Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto
• An international student to tell their story (possibly a member of the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation)

Background

In 2023 the number of international students in Canada reached over one million, a surge representing a 29% increase from 2022 (ICEF Monitor, 2024). Most of these students were hosted in three provinces, with 51% in Ontario, 19.5% in British Columbia, and 11.5% in Quebec (ICEF Monitor, 2024). Besides, almost two-thirds of these students enrolled in higher education, accounting for 30% of Canada’s total student population in colleges and universities – a share higher than any other hosting countries in the world (The Institute of International Education, 2023). This unprecedented population growth with its demographic distribution features has created a complex crisis of international students, triggering a largely negative response from the Canadian public and significant policy interventions from the Canadian government. 

Recent polling data shows a marked shift in Canadian public sentiment regarding international students. Nanos Research (2023) found that 55% of Canadians wanted the federal government to accept fewer international students than the 900,000 projected for 2024. This reflects a broader trend: for the first time in 25 years, a majority of Canadians believe there is too much immigration overall (The Environics Institute for Survey Research, 2024). While the public remains supportive of immigrants with specialized skills (73%), only 27% think international students should be a priority for government policy. This signals a growing skepticism about the role and number of international students in Canada, especially as concerns about housing shortages and the cost of living have intensified.

The Canadian government implemented a series of rapid policy changes beginning in late 2023 and accelerating throughout 2024. The most significant policy shift came in January 2024, when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a cap on international student permit applications, resulting in a 35% decrease from 2023 levels (IRCC, 2024a). This was followed by additional restrictions in September 2024, including limitations to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) and a further 10% reduction in permit allocations for 2025-2026 (IRCC, 2024b). These policy changes were implemented with the following stated objectives:

1. Protecting the integrity of the international student system;
2. Reducing pressure on housing, healthcare, and other services;
3. Ensuring international students receive proper support; and
4. Preventing institutions from increasing international student intake primarily to drive revenues. 

Viewing International Students Biblically

The preceding background paints a stark picture: unprecedented numbers, shifting public sentiment, and reactive policy interventions. International students in Canada are framed statistically, economically, and politically – as a population surge, a strain on resources, a policy lever, and increasingly, a problem to be managed and reduced. In scholarly literature, international students tend to be problematized, stereotyped, and othered as deficit learners lacking certain skills or abilities (Heng & Lu, 2024; Tran & Hoang, 2024). Yet, as followers of Christ, we are compelled to look beyond these earthly metrics. We must perceive the international student not merely as an economic unit or a demographic challenge, but fundamentally as an image-bearer of God, our neighbour, and a sojourner in the land.

A. God’s image-bearers 

Each of the one million souls who arrived seeking education carries the Imago Dei – the indelible stamp of the Creator (New International Version, 2011, Genesis 1:26-27). This inherent dignity transcends nationality, visa status, or perceived economic contribution. They are more than statistics in a government cap calculation; they are individuals of significant worth, possessing unique gifts, aspirations, fears, and a profound capacity to reflect God’s image. To reduce them solely to their impact on housing markets or institutional revenue streams is to fundamentally dehumanize them, obscuring the dignity of each one. Their presence is not merely a challenge; it is an opportunity to encounter the divine reflected in diverse faces and stories.

B. Our Neighbours in Proximity 

Christ’s command, rooted in Leviticus 19:18 (NIV, 2011) and amplified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (NIV, 2011, Luke 10:25-37), leaves no ambiguity: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” The international student – living in the crowded apartment next door, studying in our libraries, working in our shops, worshipping (or seeking) in our communities – is our neighbour. Their well-being is inextricably linked to our own. The current crisis – manifested in exploitative work conditions, inadequate housing, social isolation, and the chilling effect of negative public discourse – directly impacts our neighbours. Turning a blind eye to their struggles, or worse, contributing to narratives that paint them as burdens, is a failure of neighbourly love. The Samaritan saw the wounded man not as a problem to avoid, but as a person to whom he was bound by shared humanity and compassion.

C. Sojourners Seeking Shelter 

The biblical narrative is replete with calls for justice and compassion towards the sojourner, the stranger, the alien resident. “The foreigner among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (NIV, 2011, Leviticus 19:34). International students are modern-day sojourners. They have left homes, families, and familiar support systems, venturing into a new culture and a complex system, often vulnerable to exploitation and misunderstanding. They navigate labyrinthine immigration rules, cultural dissonance, and the constant pressure of academic success in a foreign language. Canada, a nation built by immigrants, has a profound biblical and historical mandate to offer not just education, but welcome and protection to those who sojourn within its borders. The recent policy shifts, while addressing systemic pressures, risk violating this spirit by primarily restricting the sojourner rather than first ensuring the structures of welcome and support are robust and just.

The Crisis as a Call to Peacemaking

This confluence of factors – rapid growth, public anxiety, institutional pressures, and reactive policy – has created fertile ground for conflict: conflict between communities and newcomers, conflict within institutions balancing mission and finances, conflict within government departments managing competing priorities, and conflict within the hearts of international students facing uncertainty and sometimes hostility. It is precisely into such fraught territory that Christ issues His powerful call: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

True peacemaking in this context is not merely the resolution of conflict or the imposition of order through restrictive policies. It is the active, costly pursuit of shalom – a holistic peace encompassing right relationships, justice, well-being, and flourishing for all involved: the Canadian public, the institutions, the communities, and crucially, the international students themselves. It requires moving beyond blame and scarcity mindsets towards solutions rooted in shared humanity and divine compassion.

A Call to Action for Christians and the Canadian Public

Therefore, as we gather to deliberate on the crisis of international students in Canada, we issue this call grounded in our faith:

• To Christians: Embrace your vocation as peacemakers. See the international student first as God’s beloved image-bearer and your neighbour. Advocate for policies that protect their dignity, ensure their fair treatment in education, work and housing, and facilitate their integration and well-being. Challenge narratives of fear and scarcity within your congregations and communities. Offer practical neighbourly love: hospitality, mentorship, friendship, and support. Hold educational institutions accountable to ethical recruitment and robust student support, ensuring they are communities of genuine welcome, not just revenue streams. Pray for wisdom for leaders and compassion for all.
  
  
• To the Canadian Public and Policymakers: We urge you to hear the deeper call of our common humanity. While legitimate concerns about infrastructure and sustainability must be addressed, let solutions be forged with justice and compassion at their core. Remember the sojourner. Policies must move beyond simple caps to address root causes: exploitative practices by some institutions and landlords, the chronic underfunding of post-secondary education, housing and services, and the need for better pathways to integration and contribution. Engage international students not as problems, but as partners in building thriving communities. Seek solutions that uphold Canada’s historical values of welcome and fairness.

Conclusion

The “crisis” of international students in Canada is ultimately a crisis of vision and values. It challenges us to choose: Will we see one million problems, or one million image-bearers of God? Will we see neighbours to love or burdens to reduce? Will we see sojourners to welcome or demographic flows to cap? Christ’s call to peacemaking illuminates the path forward. It demands that we address systemic failures with courage and wisdom, but always through the lens of profound respect for the sacred worth of every individual caught in this complex situation. Let this symposium be a place where we commit to being peacemakers – actively seeking the shalom of the student, the institution, the community, and the nation. For in doing so, we reflect the character of our Heavenly Father and answer Christ’s call upon our lives. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Let us rise to that high calling.

References

The Environics Institute for Survey Research. (2024). Canadian public opinion about immigration and refugees.https://www.environicsinstitute.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/final-report94fae631-0284-4ba5-b06a-e0aeeab5daf3.pdf?sfvrsn=9f47b717_1

Heng, T. T., & Lu, N. (2024). Stereotypes of international students: Reflecting on our scholarly responsibilities through conceptual framings. In J. Mittelmeier, S. Lomer, & K. Unkule (Eds.), Research with international students: Critical conceptual and methodological considerations (pp. 44-53). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003290803-7

ICEF Monitor. (2024). Canada hosted more than 1 million international students in 2023. https://monitor.icef.com/2024/01/canada-hosted-more-than-1-million-international-students-in-2023/

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. (2024a). Canada to stabilize growth and decrease number of new international student permits issued to approximately 360,000 for 2024. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/01/canada-to-stabilize-growth-and-decrease-number-of-new-international-student-permits-issued-to-approximately-360000-for-2024.html

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. (2024b). Strengthening temporary residence programs for sustainable volumes. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/09/strengthening-temporary-residence-programs-for-sustainable-volumes.html

The Institute of International Education (2023). A quick look at global mobility trends. https://www.iie.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Project-Atlas_Infographic_2023_2.pdf

New International Version. (2011). Holy Bible: New International Version. Biblica. 

Tran, L. T., & Hoang, T. (2024). Unpacking the devaluation of international students and moving toward the humanization of international student experiences. In J. Mittelmeier, S. Lomer, & K. Unkule (Eds.), Research with international students: Critical conceptual and methodological considerations (pp. 44-53). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003290803-6

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 Image below from Tony Lai, International Student Ministries, University of Toronto