Rising inflation hits Indian immigrants in Canada

NEW DELHI: Manpreet Singh Dhillon is currently living in Ottawa, he came to Canada two years ago to pursue higher studies in Brand Management at Algonquin College. Like many other Indians, he chose Canada to live his dream life, but rising inflation has changed a lot. Gas, food items and other basic commodities have seen a price rise in recent months.
This spike has dented pockets of many Indian immigrants and students. “I came to Canada in 2020 before the pandemic but many things have changed after the coronavirus and the war between Ukraine and Russia,” Manpreet Singh Dhillon said. According to him, prices of rent, food and gas have primarily impacted Indian students. “Earlier I used to pay 250 Canadian dollars as rent but now it is double,” said Dhillon.
Basic food items have also witnessed manifold increase. According to Statistics Canada, food prices have jumped by 9.8% from a year earlier in August 2022, accelerating from a 9.2% rise in the previous month. It was the highest reading since August 1981. “Earlier I used to pay around 5 Canadian dollars for milk but now it is 9 Canadian dollars. Not only milk but even meat is costly, before inflation, it was 10 Canadian dollars for 2-pound, but now it is around 15 Canadian dollars,” Manpreet said. He used to have a budget of 100 dollars for food, but it has increased to 150-170 Canadian dollars. Canadians are paying 6.5% more for meat, 7.0% more for dairy products, 15.4% more for bakery products and 13.2% more for fruits. Canada is home to millions of immigrants. Every year, around one lakh Indian students choose Canada for their higher studies. In recent years, Canada has become a popular destination for Indian students. Around 1.83 lakh Indian students are pursuing education at various levels in the country. Canada is the second most popular destination for Indians pursuing academic degrees on foreign soil. Aman Kainth belongs to Ambala and he came to Canada a year ago. Currently, he is studying Office Administration and to support his studies, he works as a security guard. “I am paid 15 Canadian dollars an hour and earlier it was 14 Canadian dollars. Inflation has risen manifold but our wages are still meagre,” said Aman Kainth. Even college fees have increased and this increase have been a major blow to many students. Students’ fees have increased by thousands. “Earlier a course, which was 15,000 Canadian dollars a year, is now around 17,000 Canadian dollars,” a student said.
Many students are working illegally more than 20 hours a week to tackle the price rise and collect money for education and send some amount back home. Remittances, which have become the main source of livelihood for many back in India have also decreased because of inflation. “Earlier, I used to send 1000 Canadian dollars back home in Punjab, but now I only send 500 Canadian dollars,” said Manpreet.
Gaurav Sharma, from Patiala and currently living in Surrey, has recently completed his polytechnic diploma. He said, “Students have started thinking before grabbing any product in the mall. They first check the price and then they purchase the product.” Loan for car interest has also increased. Earlier, people used to pay 0.99% interest, but now it is around 6%. Even gas which was 1 Canadian dollar per litre is now around 2 Canadian dollars per litre. Many Indian immigrants and students are now looking to the Canadian government for policy change. Increasing work hours and the wage rate are the main concerns for them.