Groups pen letter to Ottawa, Alberta asking not to deport student protesters

Groups pen letter to Ottawa, Alberta asking not to deport student protesters DAYNE PATTERSON CALGARY THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO Open this photo in gallery: In an undated handout photo, protesters oppose the federal immigration department's refusal of post-graduation work permits that were previously expected. GURPREET SINGH/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. A coalition of close to 300 labour and community groups are calling on the federal and Alberta governments to halt the removal of 10 international students it says were singled out for enforcement at a protest. The Migrant Rights Network group makes the demand in a public letter sent this week on behalf of transnational groups, including Amnesty International, CUPE Ontario and Climate Justice Saskatoon. The network says in the letter that targeting newcomers for enforcement while they’re protesting immigration rules is a violation of the Charter right of free speech and will have a chilling effect on those wanting to speak out. “Migrants across the country are being told that joining the next protest, picket line or public meeting could put their ability to remain in Canada at risk,” says the letter. The letter is pinned to a recent protest in Calgary by 1,500 graduates from Portage College, a public institution based in northeastern Alberta with programs delivered through partner campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The network says that graduates completed programs that made them eligible for post-graduation work permits, but over the summer they were refused the permits as the federal government changed the eligibility rules on its website. The federal government disagrees. In an e-mail, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said there had been no changes to eligibility criteria for the post-graduation work permit program but that the government had updated its web page in June to clarify existing requirements. Affected students began weeks of demonstrations starting in mid-July in Edmonton and Calgary. The network says the Aug. 12 protest in Calgary is what triggered their letter. On that day, police were called in on a complaint that protesters were blocking a sidewalk. A spokesperson for Calgary police said in an e-mail that officers went to the scene, asked for identification from demonstrators and called the Canadian Border…