‘I Am No Queen’ shines light on international student sex work in Brampton and across Canada

When Rani first came to Canada to study she couldn’t have known her life would take a dangerous turn into the world of sex work after falling on hard times.

And while Rani’s story is a work of fiction in the new movie I Am No Queen directed by Brampton filmmaker Shadab Khan, her struggles are inspired by real events and serve as an all-too-real example of the horrors some international students face when falling into the trap of human traffickers.

The film tells the story of Rani, whose name means “queen” in Hindi, who finds herself tangled in a web of financial struggles after moving to Canada to study at a private college, only to find herself struggling to make ends meet after unknowingly enrolling in a fraudulent college.

Between living expenses and payments owed to loan sharks overseas, Rani’s desperation leads her into the arms of the charismatic Harry – a pimp with his own struggles who leads her down a dark and dangerous path.

Just like Rani, hundreds of international students in Canada fell victim to an enrollment scam and faced deportation in 2023 with some of the frauds blamed on fake colleges or “ghost consultants” – unlicensed third parties who file applications on behalf of students.

Khan and producers Deep and Minu Basi drew on real world events to craft the story, like the case of dozens of students found crammed into a Brampton basement, fake schools and consultants, and women forced into prostitution by abusers.

The film features many debut performances and stars Toronto actress Fatima Iqbal as the lead role of Rani. It was one of the breakout films of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

And while the movie doesn’t currently have any local screenings, members of city council say they’re organizing a showing to share the movie’s powerful and important message.

Just this week Brampton City Council urged both the federal and provincial governments to step up and take action to better protect international students from human traffickers.

The city says removing sex work as a condition for deportation related to student visas is a crucial step towards cracking down on traffickers and getting victims the help they need.

While Peel Regional Police say there have only been two reported cases of international students being exploited, the real scope of the problem isn’t known due to under-reporting.

Posters promoting sex work seen outside of a Gurdwara and a post-secondary school in Brampton.

Police say International students can be pressured into sex work by landlords holding a victim’s passport. In other cases traffickers are bold in recruiting, with posters and ads promoting sex work seen around Brampton in front of a local Gurdwara and post-secondary schools.

And while the issue is province- and country-wide, Det. Sgt. Bob Hackenbrook with the Peel Regional Police Vice Unit says “all roads lead to Brampton” due to the city’s proximity to 400 series highways and Pearson International Airport.

Brampton City Council has been raising the issue of exploited students after seeing reports of an online ad offering free rent in exchange for a “friends-with-benefits relationship.”

The city has also called on its academic institutions to build and provide housing for its students, as well as provide education to international students on sexual exploitation and consent.

This morning, Director Shadab Khan and Canadian entrepreneurs Deep and Minu Basi announced their film ‘I Am No Queen’ at the City Council Meeting to highlight the harsh realities young people face when pursuing higher education abroad.

The film had earned a spot at this year’s… pic.twitter.com/pjNc3qwKhi

— City of Brampton (@CityBrampton) October 16, 2024