Australia moots safe housing, transport for Indian students

October 7th, 2009 MELBOURNE - International students including Indians do not report cases of assault to the Victoria Police because they don't trust them, a state parliamentary inquiry has been told. The Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA) and the Australian Federation of International Students (AFIS) both gave evidence to the inquiry on crime against students in public places.

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a bid to woo students to Australia amid reports of racial attacks down under, Premier of Australian state of Victoria John Brumby Friday said it will give progress report on the probe into attacks and proposed separate housing and transportation for Indian students. Brumby, who is leading a nine-member delegation, met Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal here Friday morning.

August 7th, 2009 Chaku Cairns (Australia): Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday assured, the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna that all steps would be taken to ensure the safety and security of Indian students in his country.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Consequent to apprehensions over slump in migration after the alleged racial attacks, Australian Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans has reiterated commitment to providing a safe and successful environment for Indian students to study in Australia. He said this while speaking to media persons after his meeting with Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal in New Delhi on Wednesday.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Promoting Australia as a safe place to study, visiting Immigration Minister Chris Evans Monday said his country was looking at India for skilled human resource, and his government was doing everything to give a safe environment for foreign students and professionals. India is a young country with young people and ours is an ageing country.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna has said that he would visit Australia soon. Issues related to safety of Indian students in Australia are expected to top the agenda of discussions.

July 1st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Some of the attacks against Indian students in Australia over the past few weeks had racist overtones, admits Victoria state's top police official. But he also underscores that the victims were vulnerable due to socio-economic reasons.

June 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A vacation bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Ganguly, has directed the Central Government to publish all steps taken to protect Indian students in Australia. The web sites of ministries of External Affairs, Over seas Indian Affairs, and Indian High Commission in Australia should contain this information the two judge bench said.

June 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy says every possible effort will be made to ensure that attacks on Indian students in Australia are not repeated, adding that the authorities will "pursue those responsible" for the assaults. In a letter to the Non-Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM) that had staged a demonstration here June 18 against the attacks on Indian students in Australia, McCarthy said: "The Australian government will make every effort to ensure that attacks are not repeated and that Australia remains a preferred destination for students from around the world." He said that the Australian government is working closely with the Indian government on the issue.

June 27th, 2009 MELBOURNE - An international student in Australia, Danny Ong, has written a guide for Indian students as well as for other international students in the country, which will offer essential advice to them regarding house-hunting, public transport, the justice system and the concept of human rights in Australia. The guide titled 'International Student Handbook: Living and Studying in Australia' will be published in August.

June 4th, 2009 CANBERRA - China has joined India in asking Australia to provide improved protection for foreign students after a series of violent racist assaults on Indian students Down Under. "There are over 130,000 Chinese students in Australia.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australia's universities have joined the Australian Government in condemning the recent attacks on Indian students living in Australia. Dr Glenn Withers, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, the peak body representing 38 of Australia's universities, expressed his sincere regret at the reports of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia.

June 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amid concerns over safety of Indian students in Australia after a series of racist attacks on some of them, an Australian university has fielded cricketer Brett Lee, who is very popular in India, to assure the Indian student community of a safe and secure environment to study in his country. Faced with the outcry in India over attacks on Indian students in Australia, Australian universities are working overtime to give assurances students and their parents.

June 1st, 2009 SYDNEY - Authorities in various Australian universities should arrange housing Indian students in safe areas, at least for the first six months, an expat group formed in the wake of a spate of attacks on Indian students here and in Melbourne said Monday. Yadu Singh, coordinator of the newly formed Community Committee on Indian Students' Issues, also asked the students to have health and emergency insurance.

May 28th, 2009 MELBOURNE - In the wake of the attacks on Indian students in the country, an Australian police officer is to travel to India to brief prospective students on avoiding street violence in Australia, media reports said. Police community liaison officer Senior Constable Victor Robb said that his advice would mainly cover "safety strategy tips", Radio Australia reported Thursday.