CASA is deeply concerned about the recent news that Saudi Arabian students studying in Canada have been asked to leave their institutions.  It has come to our attention that up to 8,000 students could be impacted by this recent decision.  Many of these students are entering their last years of study and will likely not be able to receive their accreditations from Canadian institutions due to these recent political events. International students are important to the Canadian landscape as they make a valuable contribution to our institutions by bringing diverse perspectives and innovative ideas to our classrooms.  Furthermore, international students make important economic contributions within universities and in the cities and towns they occupy.  In smaller areas this decision will make a tremendous economic impact.  We are disappointed that students have been caught in the cross fire of a diplomatic dispute that is beyond their control. CASA hopes that international students will be treated fairly by governments and post-secondary institutions in this process and that Canada maintains an open and welcoming environment for international students from around the world. 

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) has 22 member associations and represents 270,000 post-secondary students across the country.  Through its partnership with the Quebec Student Union CASA represents an additional 79,000 students and is the national voice on student issues. 

CASA is committed to aiding international students and has set international students as a priority for the 2018-2019 year.  CASA will also be releasing an international student research paper in the next month.  For more information please contact Adam Brown, CASA Board Chair at [email protected] or Manjeet Birk, Executive Director at [email protected] or visit our website at casa-acae.ca.