International students, who already pay high fees for tuition and rent, argue that the additional cost is ‘exclusionary and unjust’. Rahil Adeli, a former international student and one of the group of protestors who marched to Health Minister Adrian Dix’s office in October, pointed out: “A fair society should be equitable for everyone, and it doesn't matter if I pay this fee or not, we need to speak up for the rights of all people, our friends, everyone in our society.”

Fellow protestor Omar Chu said: “We’re supposed to live in a universal healthcare system, and part of universality is making sure that everyone who is covered by healthcare has equal access. It makes me angry to see the government caving into racist attacks on international students and imposing a fee on international students who are struggling.”

Cameron Anderson, an international student from the US, told a local news reporter: “They think that international students are here to pay, they’re here to make money for the province, and that’s not a fair way to treat international students.”