Indian students left in the lurch as Aus changes PR policy

Basant Kumar Mohanty

Melbourne, Aug 30 (PTI) Soma Joseph had come here from
India with big dreams but a year after her arrival she is
in a state of disarray.

Hoping for greener pasture, the woman from Kottayam in
Kerala, who worked as a nurse in Saudi Arabia earlier, had
come here last year as a student with her husband Biju. She
had taken admission to Community Welfare course in Melbourne
International College, a private institute.

She continued her studies and also worked in a nursing
home while Biju worked in a restaurant. Soma had expected that
she would work in community welfare sector after completing
the course and would get Permanent Residency (PR).

However, her dreams were shattered after the Australian
government changed the PR policy, taking off community welfare
from the priority list. The government has also closed down
the Melbourne International College for lack of facilities.
Adding to her woes, Biju met with an accident and suffered
from brain injury.

"It is a life and death situation for me here. Now my
hope for PR looks faded. My husband has been ailing and I do
not have money to support the family," she told PTI here.

Anita Nair, India's Consulate General in Melbourne,
said that Soma's case is just tip of the iceberg. Thousands of
Indian students are caught in such situation as their dream
for PR seems to have vanished. (MORE) PTI