Indian Student Deaths Abroad Since 2018

The Minister of State of External Affairs (MEA) V. Muraleedharan disclosed to the Rajya Sabha that at 91, Canada tops the countries with maximum student deaths abroad since 2018. The numbers of deaths in the United Kingdom are 48, in Russia are 40, in the United States are 36 and in Australia are 35. The total deaths are 403. These deaths are attributed to a number of reasons including natural causes, accidents, and medical conditions. According to data made available by the MEA to the Rajya Sabha in February 2023, the numbers of Indian students studying abroad between 2018 and 2002 - a large number of them from Panjab - are as follows: highest in the United States with 621,336 deaths; second highest in Canada with 567,607 deaths; and third highest in the United Kingdom with 317,119 deaths. In 2023, in Canada, 136,000 students were from Panjab. In a written communication, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — the government department responsible for immigration matters — responded, ‘IRCC is very concerned about the vulnerability of international students. While education is a provincial/territorial responsibility, IRCC recognises that we need to work collaboratively with provinces and territories, as well as learning institutions, to develop ways to address concerns related to student vulnerability.’ IRCC said, in 2024, the Canadian government will be adopting a ‘recognised institutions’ framework to identify and benefit designated learning institutions (DLIs) that set a ‘higher standard’ by ‘providing exceptional support and outcomes’ for international students. It remains to be seen how this fares when implemented (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 9, Story 10).