Oz Govt. to crack down on foreign students' intake

London, July 25 (ANI): Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott's announcement that the coalition government would keep 'skilled migration' numbers up, but would crack down on 'dubious educational and family-reunion applicants', is likely to affect Indian students aspiring to complete their education in the country.

"I am all in favour of Australia selling education but what I don't want us to be doing is selling immigration outcomes in the guise of selling education," The Telegraph quoted Abbott as saying.

"We will determine who comes to our country and the circumstances under which they come," he added.

Earlier, a study by Monash University's Centre for Population and Urban Research, said that there is a strong link between the government's international education, skilled migration and labour policies, which lead to Indian students becoming prone to racism.

According to The Age, Abbott has said that two-thirds of the permanent migration program (which totals about 180,000 a year) will be reserved for skilled migration.

Sponsored skilled-work visas and temporary skilled-work visas (known as 457 visas) would also be quarantined at existing levels, the humanitarian intake would also remain the same.

He also said that the coalition government would cut net overseas migration from nearly 300,000 to 170,000, and reduce the nation's population growth from 2.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent.

The number of Indian students in Australia had exploded from just 8,000 in 2005 to a 100,000 in 2010.

The Coalition's policy, to be announced today would set up an historic split on bipartisan immigration policy. (ANI)