A warning has been issued that mental health problems among international students studying in Canada have reached a serious level. Education and immigration experts are expressing concern about the various difficulties they face and are urging the government and universities to take active measures. Singh, project manager at Khalsa Aid Canada, an Ottawa-based international student support organization, introduces the desperate story of a student who tried to raise tuition by selling his family’s house in Korea, but ended up running out of money. It conveyed the reality faced.<\/p>\n
This organization provides free groceries and winter coats once a month, providing a last helping hand of hope to many students. The number of international students in Canada has rapidly increased in recent years, exceeding 900,000 as of 2023. This is more than three times more than 10 years ago.<\/p>\n
Universities and governments are increasingly relying on tuition from international students to make up for funding shortfalls in educational institutions. However, along with this increasing trend, the poor living environment faced by international students and the difficulty of entering the labor market are also being highlighted. It is said that many students are suffering from problems such as insufficient living conditions and increasing dependence on food banks. Tushara Rodrigo, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Toronto, mentioned the recent murder of a family in Ottawa and urged parents to pay closer attention to the situation of their children. He said Sri Lankan students were shocked by food and housing costs and had difficulty finding jobs.<\/p>\n
In addition, Sarom Lo, head of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, pointed out that the root cause of the problems faced by international students is that they do not receive the same rights and protections as permanent residents. Citing the example of the fact that international students cannot use public health services in most states, he explained that this causes a lot of pressure, stress, and isolation for students. In this situation, Narinder Singh, president of Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran, a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., said 30 bodies of students who returned to India after 2021 were sent and 15 were cremated.<\/p>\n
He said many of them had died from overdoses due to the toxic drug crisis, and pointed out that the mental stress and loneliness experienced by international students was one of the main causes of these tragedies.<\/p>\n
Voices are growing that it is urgent to provide active support and measures for international students facing various problems. Concrete measures are required to alleviate the difficulties experienced by students and provide better educational and living environments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"