{"id":80449,"date":"2022-01-24T14:21:17","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T19:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=80449"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:37:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:37:11","slug":"pandemic-international-students-vulnerability","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/pandemic-international-students-vulnerability\/","title":{"rendered":"The pandemic exposed the vulnerability of international students in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n The pandemic exposed the vulnerability of international students in Canada\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

This article is republished<\/a> from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. All photos provided by The Conversation<\/a> from various sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, students in Canadian universities and colleges faced many challenges<\/a>. Classes moved online, students were asked to leave campus residences<\/a> and many students lost jobs or faced reduced work hours<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some domestic students could return home, many international students could not go back to their home countries, either because of the cost or because of border restrictions<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roommates in shared dwellings struggled to adhere to proper social distancing measures<\/a>. Media reports suggested the pandemic had made international students more vulnerable to adverse events and had posed unique challenges for them<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fall 2020, we decided to ask international students how they were faring, using a survey and in-depth interviews. We hoped that a better understanding of the challenges they encountered could inform an effective policy response. What the students told us revealed intense psychological, academic and financial vulnerabilities, often occurring in conjunction with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing number of international students<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The number of international students in Canadian colleges and universities has grown rapidly over the past decade, while the number of domestic students has remained relatively constant. According to Statistics Canada<\/a> there were 142,170 international post-secondary student enrolments in fall 2010; there were 388,782 in fall 2019. Based on data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) there was a 35 per cent dip in the number of new study permits issued in 2020<\/a>, presumably because of the pandemic; however, the number rebounded to the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IRRC study permit data also shows that more than half of all international students come from either India or China<\/a>. Since 2017, India has become the top source country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universities and colleges have made strenuous efforts to attract international students, who pay three to four times the tuition of domestic students<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Facing closed or restricted campus facilities has been difficult for many students.<\/span>
\n THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Geoff Robins<\/span><\/span>
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Survey of international students<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In our survey, we were not seeking a representative sample of international students based on where they came from or where they were going to school. Instead, we hoped to hear from anyone willing to share their experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We advertised the survey on social media and wrote to campus clubs, student unions and international student offices. About 1,000 international students answered at least some of the survey questions, and roughly 600 completed the whole survey. Our sample included students from 84 countries. About 46 per cent of respondents were from India and seven per cent were from China. Other nationalities represented included: the Philippines (3.7 per cent); the United States (3.4 per cent); Colombia (3.3 per cent); Nigeria (3.3 per cent) and Iran (2.4 per cent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the survey ended in February 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 survey respondents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychological stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We asked students four questions that sought to capture how often they felt anxious<\/a> or depressed<\/a> in the previous two weeks. Importantly, the four questions constitute psychological scales that are correlated with clinical diagnoses of depression and anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on their answers, about 55 per cent of our respondents were at risk of depression and about 50 per cent were at risk of an anxiety disorder. In interviews, international students spoke of loneliness, mental exhaustion, panic attacks and social isolation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students reported that they found counselling centres at their schools hard to reach and that attempts to make appointments did not work out due to the large number seeking help. At best, there were long waits to get appointments. Shivajan Sivapalan and Yasir Khan, two doctors who work in student health and wellness services, report that international students face significant barriers in accessing health supports<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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