International students are in crisis. Governments must take responsibility: End charity

At this time last year, Khalsa Aid Canada said it was fielding calls five times a week from international students in Brampton in need of food, clothing and lodging.

Now, as the housing and affordability crisis worsens, she says she takes five calls a day — far more than she can handle.

An international charity whose Canadian branch helps more than 8,200 students in cities across the country without access to food, clothing and shelter says the government and post-secondary institutions must do more to support international students in need.

With nearly 500,000 international students living in the Greater Toronto Area, Khalsa Aid's national director Jindi Singh says charities are in dire straits, taking more than their fair share of the burden.

“We really feel that's not our role,” he said.

According to Singh, post-secondary institutions are “making billions off this situation,” but “these students, who are left to fend for themselves, have absolutely no comprehensive services.”

He says it's time for post-secondary institutions and governments to take responsibility for the situation and uncover the root of the problem.

According to Singh, supporting international students is a complex task involving nefarious programs, rogue immigration agents, mental health issues and uncertainty about immigration policies and residency requirements.

Azi Afusi, president of the College Student Alliance, agrees, adding that the lack of access makes things worse. Afusi said student unions in Ontario have reported more calls about housing issues, and one of her colleagues shares a house with 15 people.

“Housing in the GTA is like the wild, wild west,” Afusi said.

Foreign students' earning potential is also affected by federal restrictions, which Singh said further limits their job opportunities. Recent changes in the international student program, including restrictions on obtaining study permits only added to the uncertainty.

“Your shelter is affected, your food, your mental health,” Afusi said. “With students, it's even more difficult because your academic performance is affected.”

“It's a situation in a homeless camp,” said Singh, who has no home or job.

Brampton, which has 35 federally licensed colleges that attract tens of thousands of international students each year, is in dire straits, he said. Since last season, Khalsa Aid has delivered more than 5,000 food bags containing non-perishable food items to international students.

'Chronic underfunding' to blame: student advocate

International students pay study four times more than domestic students. For colleges and governments not to provide full services like housing, food and job referrals is a “pure money grab,” Singh said.

Afusi says the problem is exacerbated by the “chronic underfunding” of post-secondary education in Ontario.

International students account for 68 per cent of tuition at 24 Ontario colleges and more than 90 per cent at some Northern Ontario colleges, according to a 2021 report by the provincial auditor general.

According to a September 2023 report by consulting firm Higher Education Strategy Associates, international students from India added $2 billion to the operating income of Ontario post-secondary institutions last year, compared to about $1.8 billion from the provincial government.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities did not respond to questions about whether the province would increase funding. Instead, the spokeswoman pointed to a January news release that said the province was considering requiring all colleges and universities to have guaranteed housing options for incoming international students.

While Mattu and Singh said they welcome the entry restrictions, they want the government to provide more support to international students who are having a hard time in Canada.

Singh says he blames the federal government for bringing in a record number of international students – 800,000 in 2022 and then 900,000 in 2023 – without knowing if adequate accommodation is available.

“Who dropped the ball?”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) spokeswoman Julie Lafortune said in a statement to CBC Toronto that international students “are not responsible for the housing shortage.”

“It's clear that the number of students coming to Canada has become unstable,” Lafortune said.

In December, Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced an increase in the cost of living for study permit applicants from $10,000 to $20,635. Lafortune said the amount will now be adjusted annually so that international students have “enough money to support themselves.”

“A student who arrives without adequate funds may be vulnerable to employer exploitation or forced to accept poor housing conditions,” he said.

In Brampton, the charity sees an “unprecedented” level of struggle

While the federal government has suggested the new study permit cap will help ease the housing crisis, groups including Khalsa Aid, the World Sikh Organization, the College Student Association and Sukhmani Haven say the cap will do nothing to help those living here.

“We're seeing people struggling like never before,” Sukhmani Haven board member Deepa Mattu told CBC Toronto.

More than a dozen volunteers run Sukhmani Haven, a Mississauga-based organization that rents out a duplex in Brampton to house eight international students for free — a feat that took months before they applied to rent 50 different homes and received dozens of rejections. lease.

“It's very difficult right now,” said Mattu, an attorney with the Barbra Schleifer Memorial Clinic.

“There aren't that many places to rent, or they're available for such a high price that you're basically getting the price.”

IRCC states that nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the Affordable Housing Fund to build, maintain, and renovate affordable housing and shelter sites.

“We need all levels of government at the table with us on this,” Lafortune said.

At Sukhmani Haven, the 2022 fundraiser provided 34 students with short- and long-term housing, as well as financial aid, tuition, legal services and crisis hotline support for some.

But the organization says it is worried about its ability to keep him, which worries those who depend on him.

Sheridan College business student Simranpreet Kaur moved into the organization's rented house in Brampton two months ago after a housing search that left an international student from India “so depressed.”

Sukhmani introduced Haven Kaur to other students with similar experiences, which she says helped her feel less alone.

“It helped me a lot because I could easily share my feelings with everyone,” she said.