Indians students among 300 detained in Australia for violating immigration laws

Melbourne, Aug.28 : Australian Police have arrested several Indian students for violating the country's immigration laws.

According to The Australian, nearly 300 overseas students were thrown into detention centers in Sydney and Melbourne in the past three years after falling foul of Australia's immigration laws.

Documents obtained by The Australian under Freedom of Information laws reveal that in the three years to the end of March, 299 overseas students were put into the Villawood Detention Center in Sydney or the Maribyrnong Center in Melbourne. Most were deported and five are still in detention.

University, TAFE and secondary school students from 24 countries were detained.

Most came from China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Of the detainees, 207 were held for overstaying their visas, 30 for attendance breaches, 14 for failing their courses, seven for not starting their courses, four for withdrawing from their courses, one for a work breach and 36 for other reasons.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans recently announced that mandatory detention for those over staying and unlawful non-citizens, and only in certain circumstances.

ANI