Introduction
Victorian government resubmitted a plan to bring back international students. The plan is similar to the model used in bringing tennis players for the Australian Open. As per the proposal, the universities would consider bearing the cost of 1,000 international students flown into Melbourne. The students will be placed in special quarantine arrangements as well.
Many other states have considered similar plans soon after the border closures last year. However, the plans were quietly shelved aside.
Till the day, Northern Territory is the single state to successfully bring back 63 students to Australia. But the numbers are completely negligible as compared to the number of visa holders overseas.
Victorian government proposals for international students till now
The universities are continuously putting efforts into bringing the students back since July.
In December, the Victorian government’s plan to bring back around 23,000 international students was on the verge of finalization at the beginning of the new year. However, it all went in vain in February. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated the priority to Australian residents over the international students.
A few weeks after, the Melbourne quarantine hotel saw a nominal rise in community transmission cases. This caused a lockdown again and halted all the incoming international flights.
What’s next?
Now, the Victorian universities are trying again. The proposal to bring back in 1,000 students every two to three weeks also seems downbeat. The government is denying to comment on the proposal, except to say they will bring students back “when it is safe to do so”. We are expecting the Victorian Government’s other Plan to bring back International Students
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