There are now a record 660,765 international students in Australia at a time the country is experiencing housing shortages and a rental crisis.
The Labor Government has waited seven months to deliver its response to the Nixon Review that revealed corruption and criminality in the visa system, especially in international education.
According to the Nixon Review, the Government is aware of “serious, organised crime related to student visas”.
Yet more than 320,000 additional international students arrived in Australia while the Labor Government was sitting on this report.
Now the wait is over, Labor is dripping out announcements over the course of a week to cover for their lack action and to distract from their mishandling of the Voice referendum.
Following today’s announcement, Australians will have many questions:
• How will these minor changes stop the criminals?
• Why has it taken so long for such a sub-standard response?
• How many of the additional international students that arrived while the Government sat on this report are involved in unscrupulous behaviour?
• Will these minor changes do anything to reduce the record number of international students arriving in Australia and the impact this is having on rental shortages?
• Why is there no mention of targeting registered migration agents, education agents and VET providers involved in criminal money laundering operations, as recommended by the Nixon Review?
• Why won’t the Government release the full Nixon Review to the public?