Reading Frankenstein: Then, Now, Next. A Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818-2018) (October 26-31, 2018)

The Precarious Pathways Project

A growing number of people live in Canada with precarious immigration status. These migrants experience barriers accessing many social services, including education. Despite living in Canada and paying taxes, often for many years, they are unable to apply to university as domestic students and pay domestic fees. They are also unable to apply without fear that their immigration status will be discovered and they may be detained or deported. The term ‘precarious immigration status’ encompasses a wide range of experiences, including those who have entered Canada as a visitor but overstayed their visa, those who are still undergoing the – often lengthy – refugee determination process, or those who have come on a work-related visa and have lost their job, among many others.

Universities can easily reduce these barriers by admitting academically-qualified students with precarious immigration status and charging them domestic fees. It is important to note that it is legal for a university in Canada to admit students with precarious immigration status. Neither the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act nor the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations provide sanctions to punish institutions that do not enforce the requirement of a study permit. It is imperative that universities carefully consider privacy when admitting students with precarious immigration status, as the fear of their immigration status being released or reported is another major barrier to accessing education for this population.

☛ please register here

Presenters:
Dr. Stephanie J. Silverman
Almeera Khalid
Kate Motluk