A Chinese student claimed to have been detained in a hotel room by a member of the Border Service. (Photo by the Aussies)
Several university leaders claimed that some Chinese students were detained, their personal belongings were confiscated and valid visas were revoked. They said that when a flight from China arrived in Australia on Sunday, Border Service personnel overreacted.
According to the austasian newspaper, some senior university officials claim that some students have been questioned for hours and say that treat`s australian $39 billion international education industry has a global reputation in response to the new coronavirus travel ban.
Some 70 Chinese students recruited by different universities in Australia were reportedly stopped at Sydney Airport. In Melbourne and Brisbane, fewer students were stopped.
Some of the students who were later denied entry were already en route to Australia when Scott Morrison announced the ban on Saturday afternoon.
Eight Chinese students were detained in Brisbane on Sunday morning. By Monday night, they were still in a hotel-style apartment building, under guard.
"The way government treats these students is disgraceful," said one university leader. "
Australia`s Universities Union Australia later on Monday condemned the Border Service`s treatment of overseas students from Australia in China, saying it was unacceptable.
President Catriona Jackson said:" These reports are disturbing and are the subject of discussion with government today. We expect to act quickly. "
"At this extremely difficult time, we put the safety of all our students first. We hope to welcome these students into our community as soon as possible. "
Alan Tudge, a proxy immigrant, did not respond last night. However, it is reported that the interception of Chinese foreign students is the decision of the top of the Border Service.
Many universities worry that China`s travel ban will wreak havoc on education institutions. They recruited more than 250000 students last year.
The head of a task force set up to address the impact of coronavirus on the international education industry has called for a federal government apology to Chinese students. Phil Honeywood, CEO of the Australian Association of International Education (International Education Association Of Australia), said:" If there is a breach of the agreed agreement, these students and their families should receive an official apology, a waiver of all fees and as much attention as possible to their current safety. "
"On behalf of the members of the Task Force, we sincerely apologize for the pressure. "
Echo Hu, a University of New South Wales student, said his visa was revoked by the Border Service when he arrived at Sydney Airport at 7:00 a.m. He was questioned for hours before being taken to a hotel with three other students. They`re being held here.
Mr. hu,20, said he had taken a transit flight to south korea, leaf china, before the travel ban was announced.
He learned of the ban on the way, but "no one could say what was happening in Australia."
A group of students who were previously granted a 30-day visa to enter Australia have been advised to re-apply for a student visa. Mr hueco is one of them. He was detained until late Sunday night, and the last group was not released until the early hours of the following morning.
Mr honeywood`s task force met monday, where the interior ministry said authorities would resume its visa as soon as possible for chinese students who were revoked on sunday.
As of Monday, colleges and universities in Australia still don`t know how many Chinese students are stranded in China because of the travel ban.
