International students, many of them Indians, who went to North Bay, Ontario, as the fall season of academic session started last week, failed to find a roof over their heads due to skyrocketing housing prices. They have been promised accommodation by the colleges.
Scores of international students who reached Canada with high ambitions, including at least a hundred Indian students, are being pushed to homelessness, failing to find affordable housing in North Bay, Ontario. Canada, which is known to invite foreign students with open arms, has revealed its shortcomings in the international education program that rakes in billions of dollars but takes the back seat when it comes to providing basic needs like shelter.
Come fall season, which began last week, students took to the streets and raised their voices on social media to protest against the Justin Trudeau government. Local media covered the angst of these newcomers who were forced to spend the night in roadside tents, compelling the colleges and universities to take action.
Several students led a demonstration outside Canadore College’s Commerce Court campus. Speaking to local media, students said they have to pay tuition fees of around CA$14,000 while housing costs anywhere between CA$700 and CA$1,600 per month. International students also pay a higher fee than Canadian citizens.
“We never expected accommodation problems when we arrived,” said Manpreet Kaur, an international student from India, who is enrolled in her first year of project management IT at Canadore College, while speaking to a local news outlet.
“The college residences are full and there are no suitable accommodations. We are staying in the tent as of Tuesday. It’s cold in the night,” she added.
This is not the first time international students in Canada have faced the brunt of a housing crisis. The housing market in Canada has witnessed inflation over the past several years and rental accommodations, largely occupied by students, are no exception to the list. Similar issues of students not finding a roof have become a common problem.
Moreover, colleges like Canadore have an intake of nearly 3,500 students in a small town like North Bay which has a sparse population, according to a report by Hindustan Times. Automatically, they found themselves in the midst of the housing problem.
Canadore College told a local news outlet that this is a problem foreign students face every year.
“Every year, many domestic and international students face challenges finding housing…Canadore College has been communicating with students since January about the realities of the local housing market, including the cost of rental accommodation,” they said, adding that they work on a case-to-case basis providing assistance to those in need.
Many students and activists have taken to social media questioning the college for accepting so many admissions when they were unable to provide affordable housing. Others shared their experiences with Canadian media about the similar difficulties they faced.
“What is their reason for the significantly higher fees for international students if it isn’t to help support the required housing and infrastructure?” asked a user on X (formerly Twitter).
“@CanadoreCollegeWhy would you accept all of those international students knowing that there was a lack of affordable housing for them? And they were staying Ins tent?!? Pretty short-sighted here,” said another.
The Montreal Youth Students Organization (MYSO), a student representative organisation, has demanded Canador College and Nipissing Univerity in North Bay to help the students in the situation. MYSO representative Khushpal Grewal told CTV News that the college has “promised the students it will accommodate them”. The college is also renting a hotel in the town till September 30 to accommodate the international students until they find a more permanent solution.