By our community reporter
Melbourne: The controversy over international students in Australia refuses to die down. Now the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has revealed that 183 overseas students died in the country during 2003 – 2009, while studying here. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Radio’s Punjabi program obtained these figures from the DIAC recently under the Freedom of Information Act (FOA). The figures were broadcast by Manpreet in a story in the SBS Punjabi program on 22nd October in Australia. The figures have also been posted on the radio’s website.
The SBS website quotes the DIAC as saying that “there are no definitive statistics on this since DIAC does not maintain comprehensive data regarding details of the deaths of student visa holders. Any information that can be provided only reflects the number of student visa holders recorded in departmental systems as deceased.”
DIAC goes on to elaborate that according to their records, 183 international students died in Australia during the period 2003 – 2009 and has provided a yearly break up. But DIAC qualifies the figures by saying, “In no way do we suggest that that this is an official or comprehensive tally of international student deaths in Australia. As such, this data cannot be presented as a complete, official record and should not be used as such.” Sadly, this indicates that the real figures could even be higher than the shocking statistics already provided.
The nationalities of these deceased students is not yet known and the SBS Radio’s Punjabi program is waiting to hear from the DIAC for further clarification on the nationalities of these students, their gender and cities where they were deceased.
