Australia hints at raising the bar for Indian students

Sources said Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans gave an indication of his country’s concerns during his meeting with Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi here on Monday. The meeting came against the backdrop of a series of attacks on Indian students in Australia.

With the attacks generating negative publicity,Australia is on an overdrive to reassure authorities here that the country remains a safe place to study. Before Evans,Australia’s Secretary of Department of Education,Employment and Workplace Relations Lisa Paul and a high-level delegation had visited India with a message that Australia is not racist.

Australia’s Leader of the Opposition Ted Baillieu,along with a delegation of MPs,is arriving here on Tuesday.

During his meeting with Ravi,Evans repeated his government’s stance that the attacks had no racial overtures and were essentially criminal in nature.

He said his “ageing” country was looking at “young” India for medical,engineering and IT professionals and was doing everything to provide a “safe environment” for foreign students and workers.

He said at least in some cases Indians became targets because they had ventured into high-crime areas unknowingly at odd hours. The jobs Indian students take up to support their education mean they are often in dangerous areas or on public transport late at night.

India has the second largest number of immigrants in Australia and immigration from India is a big part of Australia’s economy,he said.

“We have had a number of these terrible incidents. A lot of these are criminal behaviour,which is not acceptable and completely against the law of Australia… Students suffered from these attacks as they did not know where to move and where not to,” he said.

These issues would be addressed by the police forces,he added.