Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian External Affairs Minister, expressed his appreciation towards the Australian governments decision of reopening the borders for international students.
The statement was made by S. Jaishakar on his first trip to Australia as India's External Affairs Minister. He stated that he welcomed this decision and that the students and temporary visa holders back home in India will benefit a lot from this announcement.
He highlighted the positivity among the student representatives for the decision with whom he had met a day earlier.
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As per the data collected by the Australian Department of Education, only 2,500 Indian students pursued an education in Australia in 2021 which was 83% less than 2019s figures. In 2019/20, Indian international students contributed AUD 6.6 million to the Australian economy. This drop is, therefore, be considered serious for the country.
Australia has been among the countries with the strictest border regulations in light of the Covid-19 pandemic since its onset in March 2020. The country started relaxing the restrictions from last year in October. Covishield, an India-made vaccine has also been approved by the country.
On February 7, 2022, it was announced that the borders shall be re-opened for vaccinated tourists and business travellers from February 21.
Also Read:Australia Opens Borders for Vaccinated Travellers
The minister met Alex Hawke, Australian Immigration Minister and discussed issues surrounding talent, mobility and globalisation.
Source:The Times of India
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