International students are in 'crisis.' Governments need to take responsibility: Peel charities

This time last year, Khalsa Aid Canada says it was receiving five calls a week from international students in Brampton needing food, clothing and a place to live. 

Now, amid worsening housing and affordability crises, it says it's receiving five calls a day — a figure well beyond what it can handle. 

The international charity, the Canadian branch of which helps over 8,200 students struggling to access food, clothes, and shelter in cities nationwide, says the government and post-secondary institutions should be doing 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 under strain, taking on more than their fair share of the load.  

"We truly feel it's not really our role," he said. 

Post-secondary institutions are "making billions out of this situation," Singh said, but "there's absolutely no wrap-around services for these students, who are left to fend for themselves."

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

Supporting international students is a complex undertaking, Singh says — one that  involves navigating bad faith programs, fraudulent immigration agents, mental health issues and uncertainty about immigration policy and the permits needed to reside in the country. 

The president of the College Students Association, Azi Afousi, agrees, adding that the lack of affordability makes the situation worse. Afousi says student unions across Ontario have reported fielding more calls about housing struggles, while one of her own colleagues shares a house with 15 other people.

"Housing in the GTA is like the wild, wild west," Afousi said.

International students' ability to make ends meet is also impacted by federal limitations on how much income can be earned, which, Singh says, further limits their job opportunities. Recent changes to the International Student Program, including a cap on study permits, have only added to the uncertainty.

"Your housing is affected, food is affected, mental health," Afousi said. "With students it's even more drastic because your academic output is affected." 

With no housing or jobs, Singh said, "It's a homeless camp situation."

He says the situation is acute in Brampton, a city with 35 federally licensed colleges that attract tens of thousands of international students annually. Since last June, Khalsa Aid has delivered over 5,000 grocery bags full of non-perishable food to international students.