08/19/2026
⚠️ Why have Portage College international graduates been protesting mass work permit refusals? Why is the CBSA raid of the Calgary protest last week an assault on our Charter rights?
This primer lays out the facts for the public and journalists:
https://tinyurl.com/PortageProtestPrimer
A QUICK SUMMARY:
• The federal government denied Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) to approximately 1,500 international student graduates of Portage College in Alberta earlier this summer, exposing them to a sudden loss of immigration status.
• When these students started their studies in 2024, the applicable rules and policies made it clear that they would be eligible for PGWPs after graduating.
• The government quietly changed the rules for PGWP eligibility on June 24, 2026, and applied the new rules retroactively to Portage College’s students to deny them PGWPs.
• The students challenged the refusals in court, and organized public protests in Calgary and Edmonton to draw attention to the issue and win public support.
• At the request of Calgary Police, the Canada Border Services Agency raided the Calgary protest site on August 12, 2026 and ordered 10 students to leave Canada, despite knowing that all 10 are waiting for the Federal Court to rule on their legal challenges.
• Calgary Police & the CBSA's actions are an assault on the charter right to free political expression & assembly. And the government’s actions are the latest example of an ongoing and escalating attack on immigrants across Canada.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:
• Share this primer/post widely: https://tinyurl.com/PortageProtestPrimer
• Donate to the Legal Defence Fund:
www.tinyurl.com/PortageLegalFund
• Sign the organizational statement to be circulated soon by ([email protected]).
• Journalists: write about this issue & show students’ perspectives in local and national media houses.
• Follow on IG.
