While financially beneficial to universities, the surge in international student numbers in Australia appears to be affecting the country’s ongoing housing crisis, raising ethical and logistical questions.
While financially beneficial to universities, the surge in international student numbers in Australia appears to be affecting the country’s ongoing housing crisis, raising ethical and logistical questions.
Australia is witnessing an unprecedented surge in international student arrivals, with annual net intake more than doubling over the previous year, reaching a historic high of 253,940.
While this influx of international students is financially beneficial for Australian universities, it intensifies existing housing challenges. Earlier this year, reports highlighted the predicament of 5,000 international students in Perth who lacked suitable accommodations. The strain on housing availability and escalating rents are unintended consequences of an otherwise successful migration policy.
Diverse challenges
In addition to housing concerns, international students confront various challenges. Media reports have frequently shed light on issues concerning the treatment and purported exploitation of international students since 2009. These issues include violent incidents, wage discrepancies, and unscrupulous accommodation providers.
A 2021 study by the Migrant Resources Centre revealed that 65 percent of temporary visa holders, primarily international students, had encountered wage-related injustices.
Financial hardships among these students also raise broader visa compliance questions. Many rely on part-time employment for sustenance, prompting inquiries about their capacity to be self-sufficient—an essential visa stipulation. Critics argue that universities and government authorities have not adequately furnished these students with material support, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Migration policies
The Australian government’s migration policies have also come under scrutiny. Recent reports have exposed fraudulent activities involving questionable migration agencies recruiting fictitious students. This has led to calls for stricter regulations. In response, Education Minister Jason Clare has proposed an initiative to raise the minimum savings requirement for international students upon their arrival.
Despite these challenges, earlier forecasts of catastrophic losses in Australia’s higher education sector due to the pandemic have been debunked. Total losses are now anticipated to be significantly less than the AU$16 billion ($10.33 billion) estimate initially projected by Universities Australia.
Nevertheless, the unresolved student accommodation crisis remains a pressing issue that the Labor party, both at state and federal levels, has yet to address. Although recent policy changes have increased the allowable number of work hours for international students, offering short-term financial relief, they do not address the fundamental housing problem.
