National Newswatch | Prince Edward Island hunger strikers have hope after small meals…

Jaspreet Singh says that while the authorities seemed to be listening, there were still over 25 people protesting outside the Parliament building on Saturday afternoon, vowing not to leave until their demands were met.

The 23-year-old is one of about two dozen lawmakers who have been sitting in parliament since May 23, challenging the government's February decision to curb the island's population growth by reducing the number of immigrants granted permanent residency.

He says that when he first arrived on the island, new arrivals were only required to work for a set probationary period, and if they had a job lined up at the end of that period, they had the chance to obtain permanent residency.

Singh says it will be much harder to get a residency permit under the new rules, and he and his fellow strikers are demanding that they continue to benefit from the old rules.

He said he lost about 7 kilograms during the strike and fainted, especially after the group stopped drinking water on Tuesday.

This report was first published on 1 June 2024.