With housing affordability becoming a pressing issue, Australian politicians are targeting international student numbers for cuts, threatening the landscape of higher education in the country.
Political Cuts Threaten Australia's International Student Landscape
Political Cuts Threaten Australia's International Student Landscape
Both political parties are eyeing drastic reductions in foreign student admissions to tackle rising housing costs in Australia.
Australia has long been a prime destination for international students, but recent political maneuvers may alter this narrative significantly. Ali Bajwa, a Pakistani native and a former doctoral student, is among those who benefitted from Australia's open-door policy towards education. Arriving a decade ago for his Ph.D. in agricultural science, Mr. Bajwa has since established himself as a professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne after years contributing to research and government. His story epitomizes the potential success many foreign students have found in the Land Down Under.
However, an upcoming shift in policy threatens to stifle this pathway for prospective students. Both major political parties are preparing to impose strict caps on the number of international students, citing soaring housing prices as a major concern for voters ahead of next month's election. This new strategy aims to alleviate pressure on rental markets, a significant departure from Australia's historical view of foreign education as a vital export.
Mr. Bajwa, who has integrated into local society and become a naturalized citizen, believes the solution lies not in capping student numbers, but in enhancing selection criteria to ensure the quality of incoming students. Last year's attempt by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to limit student numbers was unsuccessful, leading to increased fees and slower visa processes. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is now advocating for stricter limits that would further reduce international students by 30,000, capping new entries at 240,000 annually and dramatically raising visa fees.
The impacts of past border policies during the pandemic have already been severe, and while Australia previously took steps to welcome back international students, such measures now seem at risk. Recent records show international student enrollment peaked at over a million in 2023 and 2024. If these proposed restrictions take effect, the landscape of Australia's educational offerings and its reputation as a global study destination may shift dramatically.
