Upset and tired of what they believe is a continuing violation of international students’ rights in Brampton, a number of residents organized to take action.
The Naujawan Support Network (NSN) Peel, made up of activists and volunteers, was established last year to combat the root causes of international student deaths by suicide.
As member Anmol Sanotra explains, NSN believes there are many external reasons for the increases in these deaths, but that one stands out more than others.
“It is mainly wage crime; they were all owed money. “If you do not have money, you do not have food on the table and that puts a lot of stress on students,” he said.
The group found that Peel’s international students were either not properly compensated, were constantly paid late or had never seen a dime from their employers, further damaging their mental health.
There was no dedicated group or support networks to help these students. Sanotra claims that since they were not aware of their rights in Canada, many were never paid.
Almost all of these students live in Canada on a student visa and if they are hoping to get permanent residency status, they need employment records.
Therefore, they continue to work without adequate compensation and employers specifically target them, the group said.
Students may also be overworked and not get breaks or work in unsafe environments without proper training, Sanotra said.
Once a student contacts the group, they approach employers and explain the situation, which acts as an intermediary.
On other occasions, NSN members send letters to employers or use legal resources.
If members can not ensure payment for students or employers do not offer solution, NSN takes more drastic measures as a last resort.
By sticking the employers’ name on social media, group members show up outside the workplace, armed with signs and megaphones, and demand remedies.
Since its inception, Sanotra has said NSN has recovered more than $ 250,000 from employers through direct and indirect business.
Rohit Uppal was helped by NSN in October after filling out a claim with the Ministry of Labor, Training and Skills Development and claiming that his employer Al-Madina Halal Meats withheld his wages.
The group also held a rally outside Al-Madina, which was widely discussed on social media.
Documents from the ministry investigation found Uppal owed $ 8,879 in wages and that video evidence of a call between Al-Madina and a NSN member and a spreadsheet of Uppal’s schedule (among other items) was enough evidence to find that the employer withheld wages illegally.
“NSN helped me from day one, they did the wage calculations and wrote letters to the employer,” Uppal said. He said he never believed he would see the money owed to him until he reached out to the group.
Balraj Kahlon is the founder of One Voice, an agency that advocates international student and migrant rights in Vancouver.
Although they have no ties to Ontario, Kahlon said the group is often contacted by students in the Peel region, who are experiencing the same problems as BC students.
Many students are under extreme levels of pressure due to their personal circumstances, according to Kahlon.
“In the past, the perception was that it was many people from rich families who could afford foreign education, while now there are many working class families who send their children abroad and so they actually have to work here to survive, to pay for education and living costs. , ”Kahlonsaid.
He said families usually give large sums of money to send their child to study. When they get here, many end up sending money back home to help.
The pressure to complete their studies and get good degrees while finding work to support themselves and their families – plus not having many personal commitments in Canada and dealing with it all at a young age, has led to ‘ a mental health crisis, he said.
When it comes to legal action against employers, Kahlon said there is often no strong documentation, as students usually have informal agreements with employers.
If these students have the financial means to run their business legally, backlogs mean they will have to wait longer to possibly be reimbursed.
Sanotra said the problem is so endemic that they have already been warned about the possibility of labor exploitation, even before students walk into Canada.
Kahlon suggested addressing tuition fees for a start to finding a solution.
“My feeling is to get to the heart of the problem and that is to reduce tuition fees. “The financial pressure is the driving force,” he said.
He also suggested creating better awareness of established resources for international students.
A study by One Voice published in January 2021 suggested solutions such as training for specialized services within post-secondary international student offices and to conduct an evaluation of the international student program between 2014 and 2020 and implement reform to make it more friendly to skilled market labor needs.
A statement from Ontario’s Department of Colleges and Universities said the mental health of international students is a “priority” for the government and they have provided “funding to help post-secondary institutions meet their educational and operational obligations, including providing various support services to students, such as mental health support. “
Asked about possible solutions, the ministry said “maximizing labor market links between international education provided at colleges and universities and local regions benefits both institutions and communities.”
International students struggling with mental health issues can contact Good2Talk / Allo J’ecoute, a post-secondary toll-free mental health helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-925-5454or by texting GOOD2TALKON to 686868.
Reference-www.thestar.com