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There is a story doing the media rounds that international students \u2013 particularly from China \u2013 will now \u201cflood<\/a>\u201d back to Australia. It is claimed this will push up already high rents for\u00a0scarce housing<\/a>\u00a0in our major cities.<\/p>\n This story is one of three myths that risk setting up international students as scapegoats for Australia\u2019s ongoing housing crisis. However, immigration data and our monitoring of social media, where international students share their experiences, simply don\u2019t support these narratives.<\/p>\n Indeed, these students\u2019 social media posts highlight the\u00a0challenges they are facing<\/a>, including scams that seek to exploit their difficulties in securing accommodation.<\/p>\n Part of this story stems from a\u00a0Chinese government announcement<\/a>\u00a0in January that students will no longer have their degrees certified if they study online. This means students who have been studying with our institutions while based in China during the pandemic are being encouraged to return to campus.<\/p>\n The announcement was made less than two weeks before the start of the university year. It left students and institutions\u00a0rushing to make sense of the change<\/a>.<\/p>\n Media reports have since warned \u201cmore than 40,000 Chinese students<\/a>\u201d are about to arrive in Australia as a result. This has heightened fears about their impact on rents.<\/p>\n We use AI technology to listen to what international students are talking about on open online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and online forums. We also monitor Chinese platforms such as Weibo. We read comments students make about media posts to determine their reactions to events and issues.<\/p>\n We also monitor what Australians are saying about international students on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. This allows us to understand how the local community is responding to international students and to better understand the challenges students are facing.<\/p>\n Lately we are seeing negative sentiment on social media towards international students in Australian cities. Some claim these students pose a risk to local housing security. For example, one post reads: Many of Australia\u2019s international students have\u00a0already arrived<\/a>\u00a0in time for the university year. As for Chinese international students who are currently offshore, myriad challenges are delaying their return to Australia. These include\u00a0high airfares<\/a>,\u00a0visa delays<\/a>, Australia\u2019s\u00a0requirement<\/a>\u00a0they provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test and difficulties leaving jobs they have in China.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s housing crisis is being widely reported on Chinese social media. Students are actively talking about difficulties with accommodation and are worried about arriving without first securing a bed. One student\u2019s post directed towards the Chinese government, \u201cAre you asking us to sleep under the Sydney Harbour Bridge?\u201d, attracted hundreds of reactions.<\/p>\n At a recent Senate estimates hearing, the Department of Home Affairs\u00a0confirmed<\/a>\u00a0there had not been a significant spike in visa applications since the Chinese government\u2019s announcement. A full return of students to Australia\u2019s universities is not expected until later in 2023.<\/p>\n #Australia<\/a>\u2019s Home Affairs Dept. confirmed there has been no significant increase in the number of visas issued to Chinese students despite the #CCP<\/a> regime\u2019s recent ban on online learning, forcing students to return to foreign universities around the world. https:\/\/t.co\/wqtmBJfZCS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Epoch Times – China Insider (@EpochTimesChina) February 14, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat\u2019s behind this story?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nAustralia more interested in housing overseas students in high rise dog boxes than in its own residents.<\/em>
\nAnother reads:
\nAll these international students taking up homes meant for Australians. Why aren\u2019t Aussies being prioritised here?<\/em>
\nFears like these are being fuelled by three key myths that are increasingly circulating during the rental crisis.<\/p>\nMyth 1: 40,000 arrivals from China are imminent<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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