When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Abhishek Singh decided to stay in Australia to continue his studies.
He says it was a difficult choice that left him feeling vulnerable and isolated from his family back home in India.
“I [was] living in shared accommodation, and this white Australian guy, he tried to beat me,” Mr Singh told SBS News.
“He told me [to] ‘go back to where you came from, you guys are spreading diseases like COVID-19'.”
Mr Singh is now finding support through a new hub set up by and for international students in Sydney.
The new International Student Hub, backed by the Sydney Alliance coalition of community groups, unions and religious groups, was launched on Wednesday.
Abhishek Singh says the hub helped him to feel supported while living in Australia. Source: SBS News
"The hub brings the international community together," Mr Singh said.
"Students can come and seek support, be that moral support or mental support, or support related to their education."
The hub is designed to be a safe space for those students who may have encountered racism, or who are struggling with their mental health as a result of the border closures.
With the current border closures in place, it has been estimated the number of international students in Australia will halve to pre-COVID numbers.
Those who have stayed in the country have faced a myriad of challenges, including isolation and financial hardship.
For Erika Katalbas, the hub is now a "home away from home".
“I wanted a home away from home, and the hub connected me with other international students, other cultures that have experienced the same challenges,” she told SBS News.
“It was very welcoming to me and it made me realise that I wasn't away from home.”
Even before the pandemic, international students were exposed to a range of unique challenges.
Erika Katalbas says the international student hub is like a home away from home. Source: SBS News
Sydney Alliance hopes the hub's launch will mark a new chapter, where their mental health is made a priority.
"[Some] of the main struggles - and still [they are] - work exploitation, tenancy abuse and mental health deterioration,” community organiser Diana Olmos told SBS News.
“We hear stories of students in deep isolation and what we hope to do with this hub is to create a network of local relationships that international students can get access to.”
It's understood to be the first hub in the world run for and by international students, and hopes to become a welcome relief from the struggles they've faced in the past year.
"It has really been a perfect storm for these students,” Grant Blashki, Lead Clinical Advisor for Beyond Blue, told SBS News.
“Any programs that are linking them in with colleagues, linking them with support services, linking them with the community are really worthwhile.”
