Australian Oppn leader’s deportation plan sparks new anxiety for Indian students

Amid the tensions over the crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US, another immigration trouble is brewing for thousands of Indian students, this time in Australia.

Australian Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has reportedly announced a deportation plan for visa overstayers, including students and asylum seekers, if his party comes to power. According to him, around 65,000 people are currently overstaying their visa in Australia.

Taylor heads the Liberal Party of Australia, part of the centre-right Liberal-National Coalition along with the conservative National Party. Currently, the centre-left Australian Labor Party is in government. The next federal elections in Australia are expected in 2028. Incidentally, both Labor and the Coalition have raised the immigration bogey from time to time.

Breeding ground of racism?

Taylor has reportedly argued that some people misuse visas to stay back in the country for “economic reasons” rather than needing protection or study. “The Coalition will crack down on overstayers,” he reportedly said.

Also read: US firms face 'anti-Indian racism' as Trump tightens work visa rules: Report

His comments invited immediate backlash from members of migrant communities. Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman warned that such policies could deepen existing racial bias as skin colour, accent, or names often give away who is a migrant.

“Whenever migrants are singled out, dehumanised or blamed, it gives permission for racism towards those people,” he was quoted as saying.

Eric Yan Ma, a committee member of the Chinese Community Council of Australia’s Victorian chapter, told the Australian Associated Press that migrants continue to feel judged and are subjected to political arguments rather than being treated as part of everyday Australian society.

Fresh anxiety for Indian students

This comes amid growing political debate in Australia over migration, housing pressure, and cost of living. India remains the largest source of its international students, accounting for about 140,000 of nearly 650,000 foreign students.

Early this year, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh were placed in a higher-risk category under Australia’s visa system, requiring stricter checks on finances, English proficiency, and study intent. Student visa cancellations also surged in 2024–25, representing more than half of all cancellations.

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Taylor has also proposed reinstating Temporary Protection Visas, introducing a “safe country” list, and requiring migrants to sign a legally binding pledge to uphold “Australian values”. The safe country system would fast-track rejections for asylum seekers from nations deemed stable.

Similar frameworks in the EU often include countries such as India, Bangladesh, Morocco, and Tunisia, raising concerns about how these measures could affect students and migrants from South Asia.