A dozen international students flagged at Calgary protest referred to border officials

Twelve people who took part in a weeks-long international student protest in northeast Calgary have been flagged by Canada Border Services Agency as "being possibly inadmissible" and could be forced to leave Canada.

Canada Border Services Agency officers attended the protest site at Saddletowne Circle on Wednesday after Calgary Police Service called for an immigration status check. Of 20 people whose status was verified, 12 were identified as possibly inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and asked to attend a CBSA office for follow-up interviews. The agency says everyone subject to immigration enforcement action "have access to due process before the law."

The protest began July 24 and had been largely peaceful, but police received complaints about excessive noise, obstructing businesses, and public intoxication. On Wednesday, officers responded to a report of people blocking sidewalks and impeding pedestrians. Police requested identification from individuals who had set up tents without a permit on city property, and concerns about the identification provided prompted the call to CBSA.

The international graduates and their supporters had been protesting work-permit denials at the site near the Genesis Centre. Some graduates from Portage College said they were told they would be eligible for post-graduation work permits after completing their studies, but many were denied once they applied. Portage College is seeking clarification from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. An IRCC spokesperson confirmed that students who began their studies before May 2024 are not affected by recent changes, but the refusals in question relate to a "separate longstanding agreement that an eligible program of study lead to a degree, diploma or certificate." Similar protests are happening in Edmonton, with some Alberta students participating in hunger strikes.