Unearthing the “Established Citizen”: International Students’ Inaccess to Justice from Housing to Study Permits

Abstract

This article outlines the liminal status of international students in Canada, which stems from their characterization as perpetual outsiders, or “others.” This othering, caused by the intersection of Canadian law and policies, has led to greater vulnerability of international students. Canadian law serves to protect a specific beneficiary — the “established citizen” class — which results in a lack of access to justice for racialized and vulnerable groups, including international students. Historical examples include housing initiatives displacing Black tenants and the gentrification of Vancouver’s Chinatown, where the interests of residents were overlooked in favour of serving the “established citizenry.” International students, having been villainized as “others” responsible for the housing crisis, are unfairly viewed as a foreign threat to the interests of the “true Canadian.”