Canada Border Services Agency officers have stormed the international students’ protest venue in Calgary to check their papers for confirmation of their immigration status.

A video shared with the Peoples Gazette on Wednesday showed the officers speaking to the protesters seeking work permit issuance to stay in the country after the expiration of their student visas.

The protesters were demanding to be allowed to remain in Canada despite not having valid visas.

The agency was tasked with the responsibility of enforcing Canada’s immigration laws, investigating potential violations and carrying out removals when necessary.

It was not immediately clear if any of the protesting students was detained as of the time this report was filed.

The Gazette, however, gathered that many of the protesting students were handed “a notice to appear” to determine their eligibility to continue staying in Canada. 

The development came as many international students in the maple country embarked on a hunger strike to protest against the rejection of their post-graduation work permit (PGWP) applications by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which determined that their academic programmes did not meet the required eligibility criteria.

Recall that The Gazette earlier reported that an estimated 480 graduates of Portage College partner-delivered programmes in Calgary and Edmonton were affected. 

The affected students argued that they completed their diploma programmes, paid international tuition fees, and begun working while awaiting decisions on their applications before receiving notification of the rejection.

The IRCC, however, cited the classification of their programmes as “non-credit” as the reason for the mass denials.

The agency acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, noting that it would continue to adjudicate applications fairly in accordance with Canadian immigration law. 

“We recognise that this situation is deeply important to those involved. We understand that behind every application, there is a person, a family and important plans for the future,” IRCC spokesperson Matthew Krupovich said.