Australia has zero tolerance for racism,attacks

The principal aim of the visit is to reinforce Australias image as a welcoming and safe country for international students. Another key objective is to discuss and reach agreement with my counterpart,Mr Kapil Sibal,to support the prompt development of legislation by the Indian Government on the regulation of education agents in India.

How will you counter the perception in India that some Australians are racist?

We are committed to building an inclusive and cohesive society. The government combats prejudice through community programmes and anti-discrimination legislation and maintains effective and independent processes for addressing discrimination.

What assurances have you given to India to put to rest all allegations of inaction against racism?

The Australian government takes very seriously Australias reputation as a safe destination for international students and will not tolerate discrimination or victimisation of students.

Australians have been appalled by recent acts of violence against guests in our country and have condemned these in the strongest possible terms. These attacks are criminal and police are taking action to bring the perpetrators to justice. Australia prides itself on being an open and welcoming society and has zero tolerance for racism.

During their meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna,Indian community leaders in Sydney said their fruitful and long-term stay in Australia was a clear example of the open and tolerant way of life in Australia and the recent incidents were only an aberration,which were unfairly highlighted in the Indian media as being racist.

Recent measures taken by Australian Government also include the introduction of Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment ESOS Re-registration of Providers and Other Measures Bill 2009. Under the new rules being considered by the Parliament,all institutions currently registered will be required to re-register under new,tighter criteria by December 31,2010.

The Australian government has identified the need to have better mechanisms to hear the concerns of international students. An International Student Roundtable will take place in Canberra on September 14 and 15,2009. The outcomes of the Roundtable will inform our work in ensuring better support for international students. Students will present their views to a meeting of state and territory education ministers in November and inform the development of Australias national international student strategy.

Our External Affairs Minister said that India needs to regulate unauthorised agents for Australian educational providers. What is the Australian government planning to do?

A mixture of measures from both Australia and India is needed to solve the current problems. The Australian States are conducting a series of targeted and rapid audits of education providers in consultation with the Australian Government.

The ESOS Act puts the onus on Australian education providers to work only with reputable education agents. The proposed amendments include a measure that will require providers to publish the names of their agents.

The Australian Government has agreed to work with the Indian Government on how to regulate education agents in India. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship DIAC is auditing eVisa electronic visa agents and removing those agents that do not meet the requirements of their eVisa contract and increasing the number of student interviews it conducts.