Is Australia Safe For International Students:

Train stations, bus stops, even pavements in and around Melbourne, the Australian city in Victoria which is home to thousands of Indian students, have increasingly turned unsafe with a good number of attacks on migrant youth being reported from the suburbs.

Some of these crimes bear the ‘us-versus-them’ racial overtone while most, according to Victoria Police, come as “assaults and robberies”, and many other cases go unreported, possibly for fear of a backlash.

The Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA), which has taken up the concern with Victoria Police, local lawmakers, as well as the Indian government, says the number of attacks, “fortunately directed towards male Indian students only”, could be as high as three per day.

“Most (Indian) students are doing well and feel secure. But a significant number are at the receiving end. This is leading to huge problems, including some students being forced to the edge of the society. We have seen the emergence of Indian students’ vigilante groups, an increase in suicides, depression, other health problems and students failing due to extraneous factors,” he said.

Victoria police, calling these crimes “extremely serious”, said the number of reported cases has decreased due to a series of public forums and education/information sessions organized by them and local community organizations.

Gupta said, “I would advise Indian students to be aware of what they are getting into. Once there, they should get involved with community groups and avoid unsafe suburbs, universities and institutes. Many private agents in India misguide students and the Australian government doesn’t monitor the inflow”.

Source Of Information: The Times Of India