Indians to turn backs on city, warns Deakin

Jessica Benton
“Safety concerns” are set to slash Indian student enrolments in Geelong, according to Deakin University.
Geelong Chamber of Commerce warned that the decline could seriously damage Geelong’s economy, with Indian students now big business in the city.
Deakin said it expected the drop in enrolments this year after violence against Indians in Geelong and Melbourne.
Norlane men Andrew Madden and Robert Harvey are in custody on charges of robbery and assault against an Indian taxi driver in Geelong last weekend.
The assault followed the stabbing murder of 21-year-old Indian graduate Nitin Garg in Melbourne earlier this month.
A Deakin spokeswoman said the university predicted the number of new and returning Indian students would fall 15 to 25 per cent.
“The main reason for this decrease is expected to be a drop in new enrolments,” the spokeswoman said.
“However, we will not know the exact number until classes begin for trimester one, early in March.
“It’s possible the potential drop in new enrolments is due to safety concerns. However, other issues are also likely to be having an impact, such as the strong Australian dollar and new visa application requirements that make it more difficult for students to obtain study visas.”
The spokesperson said 1187 Indian students studied at Deakin in 2009.
Chamber of commerce executive officer Lawrie Miller feared financial fallout from the predicted decline in enrolments.
“There’s certainly going to be a big impact financially in Geelong and Melbourne,” he said.
“In terms of education, Indian students are worth billions a year to Victoria.
“The financial impact is going to be huge for institutions like Deakin, the Gordon and other colleges in Geelong.
Mr Miller called for a promotional campaign to lure Indians back to Victoria.
“We need to do something to convince Indians it’s still very safe to come to Melbourne and it’s even safer in Geelong.”