International students are expressing concerns about the potential implications of new federal legislation aimed at strengthening the country's borders.

The NL chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students has raised alarm over Bill C-2, also referred to as the Strong Borders Act, citing that it poses a threat to the rights and safety of newcomers to Canada.

The organization asserts that the proposed law broadens government surveillance and weakens privacy safeguards for newcomers, giving authorities unprecedented authority to revoke immigration documents without proper legal procedures, potentially jeopardizing the status of international students abruptly.

Chairperson Nicolas Keough has highlighted the alarming aspect of the bill, stating that while it remains uncertain whether the government would exercise such powers, the legislation grants them the discretion to do so, which is deeply concerning.

Keough has been in contact with numerous students who share these anxieties, estimating that approximately 100 individuals have reached out to him. Some of them expressed a desire to voice their concerns publicly but refrained from doing so out of fear of jeopardizing their own immigration status.