'It's their prerogative': MEA on Australia's visa crackdown on Indians

The Ministry of External Affairs addressed concerns over Australia's visa crackdown on Indians, stating that visa matters are sovereign prerogatives of individual countries.

On being asked that Australia has launched a visa crackdown on Indians, especially from five states, including Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, UP and Bihar, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly press briefing said, "Visa matters are sovereign matters. Whether Australia wants to issue a visa to X or Y, it's their prerogative. So that is how we look at it."

Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton on April 6 introduced a major proposal aimed at cutting the number of international students in the country. He pledged to reduce student intake by 80,000, arguing that the measure would help ease the housing crisis and make home ownership more attainable for young Australians, according to a report by The Australia Today.

In a statement on social media platform X, Dutton said, "ANNOUNCED: We will cap international student numbers and reduce permanent migration by 25 per cent - freeing up nearly 40,000 homes in the first year."

He criticised the current government's migration strategy, stating that the intake of 1.8 million new arrivals over five years was placing pressure on an already strained housing market, particularly in major urban centres. Dutton also noted that since the previous election, international student numbers had increased by 65 per cent--from 5,20,000 to over 8,50,000--coinciding with a 25 per cent rise in median rent across the country.

Amid this, new data from February 2025 showed that India became the top source country for student visas to Australia, surpassing China. In that month alone, 2,734 Indian students were granted visas, up from 2,398 in January. By the end of February, the total number of visas issued to Indian students had exceeded 5,000.

The rise in Indian student enrolments was attributed to a combination of factors, including Australia's high-quality education system, robust career prospects, and vibrant campus life. Popular fields of study among Indian students include IT, engineering, business, and healthcare, The Australia Today reported.