About 50,000 international students issued permits to study in Canada in 2024 failed to report to colleges and universities where they enrolled. India, China, Nigeria, Ghana, and six other countries rank among the top 10 countries with the highest number of such international students.

“In a shocking revelation, close to 50,000 international students who were issued study permits to pursue higher education in Canada were reported as ‘no-shows’ by the colleges and universities where they were supposed to be enrolled, according to government data from spring 2024,” Immigration News Canada reported on Thursday.

It added, “This figure, representing 6.9% of all international students tracked by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), highlights an alarming trend that has sparked nationwide discussions about the effectiveness of Canada’s international student compliance system.”

India ranked first on the list with about 20,000 students who failed to show up in the respective Canadian universities they enrolled, followed by China with about 4,200 students.

Nigeria ranked third with about 3,900 students, while Ghana ranked fourth with about 2,700 students. Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Rwanda and the Philippines also ranked among the top 10.

Experts have attributed increased non-compliance among international students to exploitation by fraudulent agents, illegal U.S. border crossing and work and residency aspirations.

The increase in the ‘no-shows’ came amid moves by the Canadian government to cut down on the influx of migrants.

Last year, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan will pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term.