Aus delegation to visit India to give assurances about safety

Under fire over a spate of racial attacks targeting Indian students, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd today announced that a high-level delegation will travel to India later this week to deliver assurances that this country is a safe destination for pursuing studies.

"It is important to extend Australian hospitality to international students," Rudd said in a joint statement with deputy prime minister and education minister Julia Gillard, while announcing the July 5 to 15 trip of the delegation comprising senior police and other officials from federal and state governments.

The delegation, which will first visit New Delhi after it reaches there on Sunday, "will also travel to major Indian cities to meet with state governments and others to hear about their concerns and reassure them that Australia is a safe destination for Indian students," Rudd said.

The delegation led by Colin Walters, First assistant secretary from the Australian Department of Education, will visit eight Indian cities -- Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore -- during the visit.

The delegation included representatives of Australia's international education and training sector and federal and state government agencies, including from the State Police of Victoria, which has witnessed most of the recent attacks against Indians.
    
A total of 20 Indian students have been attacked in a month in Australia, which is home to over 95,000 Indians pursuing their education here. These attacks have shaken Australia's reputation as a safe destination for overseas students.

During its tour of major Indian cities, the Australian delegation will interact with Indian officials and parents and students. It will present details of the initiatives that have been taken in Australia to enhance the well-being of international students.

Rudd said the delegation's visit was part of a strategy to make foreign students feel safer in Australia.

His statement came after his meeting with premiers and chief ministers of the Australian states in Darwin to discuss the strategy involving multiple initiatives to improve the lives of foreign students in Australia.

The initiatives included better personal safety, greater cultural assimilation, higher accommodation standards, and increased work rights, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

At present, holders of an international student visa are limited to working 20 hours a week but this restriction is expected to be relaxed in the wake of complaints from students struggling financially. 

Rudd also announced that an international student conference will be held in Canberra on September 14 and 15 during which foreign students will be able to air their grievances and make suggestions. These ideas will then be put to the inaugural ministerial council on Tertiary Education in November.

Under the new strategy, the states are expected to be told to commit themselves to work harder to protect foreign students with increased police presence at public transport centres and other danger spots, the newspaper reported.

Ethnic liaison officers will be appointed and students given a better understanding of their rights and obligations in Australia, it said.

Universities and other institutions will be told to lift the standards of accommodation for foreign students and areas of discrimination among foreign and domestic students will also be minimised.

The states will agree to offer international students the same public transport concessions as domestic students.

Foreign students, with special emphasis on Indians, will be encouraged to participate more in extra-curricular activities on campus to enhance cultural understanding and tolerance.

The governments will also seek to educate Australians more about the benefits that international students bring.