MONTREAL — Quebec universities and public colleges say they should be exempt from the government’s plan to reduce the number of international students in the province, but the immigration minister says that’s unlikely.

The schools say a bill tabled last month would hurt their ability to attract top talent from around the world.

But Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge says it’s “not reasonable” to think the government could cut the number of foreign students in Quebec without including universities and public colleges.

The bill would give the government new power to cap foreign student enrolment at Quebec schools based on region, institution and program of study.

Roberge has said the bill is necessary to prevent schools from selling Canadian citizenship, but the universities and public colleges say they aren’t the problem.

There are currently about 124,000 foreign students in Quebec, which Roberge says is a 140 per cent increase in the last decade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

The Canadian Press