INSIDE THE VILLAGE: Shutting the door on international students

​Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.

On this week's episode: A crackdown on international students.

Responding to a barrage of negative headlines in recent months, the Trudeau government has announced a two-year cap on international students coming to Canada. 

The cap — 360,000 approvals for 2024, divvied up between provinces on the basis of population — will have the biggest impact on Ontario, where the number of international students will suddenly be slashed by 50 per cent.

Not surprisingly, colleges and universities are worried about how the change will impact their budgets. Amid years of provincial underfunding — and the Ford government's 2019 move to freeze domestic tuition — schools have increasingly turned to international students because they pay much higher tuition.

At the same time, many have sounded the alarm about the impact international students are having on Canadians' cost of living, and the rental market in particular. The federal government has also expressed concern about the quality of education some schools offer these students, with Immigration Minister Marc Miller likening some institutions to "puppy mills."

Here to break down this week's big announcement, and how we got here, is economist Mike Moffatt, the senior director of policy and innovation at the University of Ottawa's Smart Prosperity Institute.

Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode is available HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.