Commentary: International students

from China risk being scapegoats for

Australia’s housing crisis
There are negative sentiments towards international students in Australia, with
some claiming these students threaten local housing security, says this
academic.

CANBERRA: There is a story doing the media rounds that international

students - particularly from China - will now “flood” back to Australia. It is
claimed this will push up already high rents for scarce housing in our major
cities.

This story is one of three myths that risk setting up international students as
scapegoats for Australia’s ongoing housing crisis. However, immigration
data and our monitoring of social media, where international students share
their experiences, simply don’t support these narratives.
Indeed, these students’ social media posts highlight the challenges they are
facing, including scams that seek to exploit their difficulties in securing
accommodation.

WHAT’S BEHIND THE STORY?

Part of this story stems from a Chinese government announcement in
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.

The announcement was made less than two weeks before the start of the
university year. It left students and institutions rushing to make sense of the
change.

Media reports have since warned “more than 40,000 Chinese students” are
about to arrive in Australia as a result. This has heightened fears about their
impact on rents.

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.

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.

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: “Australia
more interested in housing overseas students in high rise dog boxes than in
its own residents.”
Another reads: “All these international students taking up homes meant for
Australians. Why aren’t Aussies being prioritised here?”

Fears like these are being fuelled by three key myths that are increasingly
circulating during the rental crisis.

MYTH 1: 40,000 ARRIVALS FROM CHINA ARE IMMINENT

Many of Australia’s international students have already arrived in time for
the university year. As for Chinese international students who are currently
offshore, myriad challenges are delaying their return to Australia. These
include high airfares, visa delays, Australia’s requirement they provide
evidence of a negative COVID-19 test and difficulties leaving jobs they
have in China.

Australia’s 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’s post
directed towards the Chinese government, “Are you asking us to sleep
under the Sydney Harbour Bridge?”, attracted hundreds of reactions.

At a recent Senate estimates hearing, the Department of Home Affairs

confirmed there had not been a significant spike in visa applications since
the Chinese government’s announcement. A full return of students to
Australia’s universities is not expected until later in 2023.

MYTH 2: ALL THESE STUDENTS CAN AFFORD INNER-CITY APARTMENTS

Survey analysis by global education services provider Navitas recently
found the cost of study has risen from the fifth-most-important consideration
to the second-most-important consideration for Chinese students deciding
where to study abroad.

While some students may be able to afford top-price inner-city living, many
can’t. And many of those who are already here are struggling with the cost
of living. As one student posted:
“It already costs so much for us to pursue studies in Australia but now it
costs much more to afford basic needs. Already on loan and not all of us
students come from rich families. I hope this is raised and some help is
offered to those of us who are struggling.”

The cost of living in the inner city is leading students to seek advice online
from their peers in Australia about living in suburbs further away from
campus. There is a need for information to be provided to these students
about alternative suburbs, including travel times and facilities, along with
reassurances about safety and cost.

MYTH 3: STUDENTS CAN WALK INTO PROPERTIES

International students who have not been in Australia for the past few years
lack the rental and financial history that landlords require. Online, students
talk about feeling discriminated against, with landlords considering them
“high risk”.

Some students recount being asked for two or three months’ rent in
advance to secure a property. Others are voicing fears about being
scammed as a result of their lack of a paper trail: “I was asked to pay 2
months rent on top of my bond to secure a spot. I was told international
students are not trustworthy so they required more payment upfront. Is this
legal?”

In recent weeks, various scams targeting international students have been

aired on social media. These range from “fake” real estate agents
requesting hefty deposits, and agents charging a month’s rent to “hold” the
property, to threatening students who do not comply that this will slow down
visa processing.

In response, the Chinese consulate in Sydney has issued a warning to

students. The notice urged students to be wary of rental scams and to take
care to ensure their safety and security in their dwellings.
The return of international students is an important sign of economic and
urban recovery in Australia. Students support local economies as tourists,
consumers, taxpayers and a vital source of labour.

Unless the challenges they face on their return are seen and addressed, we
risk this group of young people being turned into scapegoats for a housing
crisis that is the result of domestic policy failures over many years.

Angela Lehmann is Honorary Lecturer, College of Arts and Social Sciences

at Australian National University. This commentary first appeared on The
Conversation.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/li-qiang-china-next-premier-xi-jinping-pragmatic-economy-
3317466