Linking International Students to Housing Shortages Is Misleading: Peak Industry Bodies

Independent higher education providers and the business community in Australia have stated that it is misleading to attribute housing shortages and rental unaffordability to international students. At a recent Senate hearing, representatives from Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) shared their views on a new education bill proposed by the Labor government. The bill (pdf) introduces a number of measures, including automatic cancellation of registration for service providers unable to meet certain requirements and a cap on the number of international students for each provider. While the government claimed that the bill would improve the quality and integrity of the international education sector, the IHEA alleged that it was simply about reducing immigration numbers....