It’s challenging being an international student in Canada
Image credit: Dollar Gill on Unsplash
Through the Apna Health collaboration, Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS) and Indus Community Services (Indus), have partnered to release a specialized report on international students – Invited & Forgotten: International Students in Crisis.
International students in the Region of Peel encounter many challenges and this report outlines some of the major issues, such as labour exploitation and financial difficulty, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, lack of housing and supports on campus, drug trafficking and legal issues, and mental health, addiction and suicide.
In 2018, 721,205 international students studied in Canada, comprising the largest number to-date. Research conducted in 2019 shows that Ontario attracted the largest proportion of international students (43 per cent), followed by British Columbia and Quebec (both at 19 per cent).
The majority of international students in Canada were from Asia (64 per cent) and the top three source countries for international students in Canada were China (32 per cent), India (15 per cent) and France (8 per cent) in 2016-17.
In 2019, India was the top source country for international students at the college level and the Peel District School Board has been welcoming international students for more than nine years.
International students are regarded within government reports as being a large source of revenue and human capital within the country. On average, domestic students in Canada paid $6,822 in tuition fees, while international students paid four times that amount at $27,613 for the same duration of study.
Since international students are legally allotted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during school semesters, many end up precariously employed to make ends meet.
Debt bondage and a lack of education around consent and legal rights has led to several incidents of workplace sexual harassment.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, many international students faced numerous challenges in their ability to afford rent and food, along with increased fears of being unable to complete their program requirements.
These challenges escalated due to their distance from home and the lack of a familiar support network.
“This research study points to the benefits of international students in Canada while highlighting the challenges these students face ranging from sex trafficking, recruiting students to be drug mules, mental health issues leading to suicides, and exploitation by unscrupulous employers and landlords,” says Baldev Mutta, CEO, Punjabi Community Health Services.
“These young people not only deserve our support and protection but also need to be recognized as the future of our communities and essential to our progress as a society,” says Gurpreet Malhotra, CEO, Indus Community Services. “This report reveals how a poorly envisioned patchwork of policies has contributed to the enormous neglect of vulnerable young people. I sincerely hope that government policy makers at all levels acknowledge these problems and commit to removing barriers for international students, while building a process that ensures their success”
“Public post-secondary institutions are hosts to many international students in Brampton,” says Brampton Councillor Rowena Santos. “For instance, Sheridan College has 6,000-plus international students and Algoma University has 400-plus international students. These learners are our local residents and as a councillor, I have received numerous concerns related to student housing, mental health issues, human trafficking, and inappropriate behaviour in local neighbourhoods. Respected community agencies like PCHS and Indus provide important support services to international students. In their delegation, these agencies flagged serious issues and shared that they feel ignored by existing post-secondary institutions in Brampton.”
The barriers faced by international students when navigating the complex reality of living and studying in Canada must be recognized in order to adequately support these individuals.
Excerpt from the report:
International student enrolment has been on the rise within Canadian colleges and universities, having increased 68 per cent between the years of 2014-2018 alone. The province of Ontario facilitates and fosters the experience of nearly 50 per cent of these enrollments with Sheridan College for example (with two of its main campuses being located in Mississauga and Brampton) being composed of over 30 per cent international students.
There are numerous reasons as to why international student enrollment is on the rise within Canada. It is recognized that international education can support Canada meet current and emerging labour-market challenges. In 2018, about 53,700 international students became permanent residents. As of 2019, 58,000 international students became permanent residents within the country with 34 per cent of individuals who gained immigrant status doing so through the Canadian Experience class (a stream of immigration mainly directed towards students and foreign workers).
• Working more than the allotted hours per week is reported to be becoming more common and companies that are allowing students to work more than these allotted hours have been reported by said students to have treated them inhumanely, specifically in regard to sexual harassment in the workplace, and getting paid less than minimum wage.
One student interviewed for an article published by CBC News reportedly worked 164 hours in a time span of two weeks during his time off from school in order to be able to afford his program expenses. The article quoted other students as saying that it is not uncommon to see international students falling asleep in class and/or on transit due to the implications of working and trying to meet financial obligations.
Baldev Mutta of Punjabi Community Health Services.
• Within the survey, housing was found to represent a large portion of expenses that international students paid during their studies. Nearly half (32 of the participants) reported spending 30 per cent of their money on housing. An international student quoted in a CBC article stated that in his first year of post-secondary schooling in Canada he stayed in a one-bedroom apartment located in a basement with three other students for $400 a month.
• Although international students may know the dominant language within Canada, they may not be familiar with it being used regularly within a setting nor are they used to slang. Without adequate support, one can face language barriers with peers and university staff that can affect academic performance and one’s participation in educational and professional settings. For international students, it has been found that common causes of depression and anxiety include culture shock and homesickness, thus showing a clear need for support to navigate cultural differences and integrate into Canadian society.
• According to an article published by CTV News, the federal government is focusing on the needs of international students that have a long-term goal of obtaining a postgraduate work permit within the country. These students will be allowed to put their hours of online learning towards obtaining this work permit, but only if a minimum of 50 per cent of their program is completed within Canada. In addition, the government is allowing international students who have been hindered in their ability to submit all relevant documentation to study in Canada due to the pandemic, to begin their studies within their country of origin.
• The government of Canada set a target in 2014 to increase the proportion of international students within the country by 2022, and that goal was achieved by 2017. In 2016, the federal government altered the direct entry system into Canada, which prioritized individuals with Canadian post-secondary education and gave them relatively higher chances during the processing phase.
• Integrating international students into Canadian society for the purpose of equitable benefit is not as simple as policy makers and post-secondary institutions make it seem. The lived experiences, challenges, and barriers faced by international students when seeking to navigate the complex reality of living and studying in Canada must be recognized in order to adequately support these individuals. Currently, psychological and physical well-being is neglected at the expense of capital gain. Instead of being absorbed in the competition for economic and societal gain, our systems should prioritize the needs of individuals.
International student enrolment provides immense economic growth and stability within the country ($21.6 billion in 2018, and approximately 170,000 middle income jobs supported). Also, as stated within government reports, it increases innovative thinking, integrates new skills, and allows for the development of global relationships.
One of the largest reasons for attracting international students to Canada, however, is global competition. It is predicted that by 2025, the demand for international education will increase to 7.2 million post-secondary international students. Therefore, Canada must get ahead in attracting this global revenue in order to ensure that it maintains its position as a top destination.
Apna Health is a partnership committed to the South Asian community’s health and wellness during the pandemic and beyond. It recognizes the work and assistance of the following:
Social Planning Council of Peel’s Dr. Srimanta Mohanty, Principal Investigator and CEO; Madison Wilson, research associate; Dolly Singh, Manager, Strategic Development; and Zofishan Hasan, Policy Analyst