Leaving In Body Bags: Canada’s High Rate of International Student Deaths

Members of the South Asian community are sounding the alarm about the high rate of international student deaths in Canada, but not much is being done to address the issue.

In BC, community organizations and faith groups have stepped up in the absence of government action, to help provide support to students who are being disproportionately impacted by the drug toxicity and overdose crisis.

In Ontario, a funeral home director says that some months, 4-5 students’ bodies are being sent back to India, and the rate of 18-25 year old students dying from unnatural causes is abnormally high.

However, the federal government does not track or release disaggregated data on the overdose crisis, or on the number of international students who are dying in Canada overall.

At the same time, post secondary institutions are charging students exorbitantly high international student fees, but providing little in the form of services and support.

Non-profit organizations or places of worship are often the only place students have to turn to cope with the multilayered challenges they are facing.

Jindi Singh, National Director of Khalsa Aid Canada has been hearing from and helping students across the country, many of whom are being exploited, with nowhere else to turn.

“It’s not really a South Asian community issue, this is a university and colleges not looking after their students, not providing them with support services issue.”

Singh joins host Rumneek Johal to talk about international student exploitation, overdoses and deaths, which he says stems from students being seen as a revenue stream by the Canadian government.