The SA hosts a show screening to highlight international students’ challenges in Canada.

International students face many challenges and fights for their chance at a good life.

The Student Association (SA) is organising a screening of a Fifth Estate episode ‘Sold a Lie’ on Nov. 30 to highlight these struggles.

The 45-minute episode will be screened at the Casa Loma campus’s SA Games Room starting at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion among those present.

Currently, 32 per cent of the students at GBC are international. These students pay more than four times the domestic tuition fee with additional costs for health insurance, while being bound by a work hour limit.

The purpose of the screening is to bring members of the college community together to have a meaningful discussion regarding such problems that exist for international students.

The screening was initiated by Angeline Nijmeh, SA’s director of education and equity.

“I came across this episode about a month ago. And it basically discusses what is probably the biggest social issue on George Brown campus today, and probably across Canadian colleges and universities, which is the injustices that international students face with regards to disparity in tuition costs, with regards to exploitation at work, with regards to difficulty obtaining affordable housing, with regards to mental health,” said Nijmeh.

The episode covers fake schemes regarding financial ties and a better life in Canada presented to students by Indian recruitment agents. It shows viewers the challenges international students face to get to Canada, and once they are in the country.

All students, faculty, and other members of the college are welcome to participate and have an hour-long discussion opportunity to share their own experiences and thoughts. The hope is that the event succeeds in informing participants and maybe even inspire them to look for solutions to this issue faced by many in our community.

“I also think there’s a piece to it [the episode] that’s really empowering. I think students will be inspired to kind of brainstorm ways in which we can address these injustices. I think it’ll be a really good way to create student engagement and change for international students,” Nijmeh continued.

SA board members, among other SA staff, will be present at the screening, and light dinner and refreshments will be provided to those present.

Interested students can register for free for the event here.