Professor Carolyn Evans: Hidden dangers in new foreign student cap

Many people will be applauding the federal government’s cap on international student numbers, but Professor Carolyn Evans says we should be careful what we wish for.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Carolyn Evans.

Over summer, the federal government unofficially implemented an approach to international student visas which saw numbers plummet.

Some of this was aimed at poor quality providers, which the education sector applauded.

And some was aimed at simply reducing the overall numbers coming to Australia, and now the government has introduced legislation that gives ministers unprecedented power to intervene to reduce international student numbers.

‘Appalling’: Foreign students and workers hit back at attacks from Aussies

Education Minister Jason Clare introduces new Bill to manage foreign student surge

Doubtlessly many people are applauding this too, seeing only the downsides of international migration. But be careful what you wish for – there are plenty of benefits of international education that are in danger also.

The impact on universities and other education providers has already been significant with over 2000 jobs disappearing in the private sector and hiring freezes and job losses anticipated in universities. What is less well understood is the flow-on impacts that reducing international students too severely will have in other sectors.

International education is critical to Queensland’s tourism sector. International students are tourists themselves, often spending some of their vacations travelling around the country or returning to Australia with their families later in life.

They are also critical workers in the hospitality industry, working in cafes, bars and hotels in jobs that Australians are unwilling to do – particularly during times of record low unemployment.

We saw during Covid how badly impacted these industries were when international students were unable to come into the country.

Last year, half of the economic growth that Australia experienced came from international migration, particularly international students. Too much restriction on international students will impact economic growth to everyone’s detriment.

There is a serious policy conversation to be had around homelessness. International students play only a minor role in housing shortages and universities will engage in discussions about the role that we can play in alleviating this problem.

Yet the heavy-handed legislation currently before parliament creates a long term threat to one of Australia’s most successful exports. It’s time to calculate the costs of this new legislation before it is too late.

Professor Carolyn Evans is Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President