Australia Issues Principles on Rights of Foreign Students

The Australian Human Rights Commission has issued principles to protect the rights of international students enrolled in Australia. The principles are intended as a guide for universities, government entities and others on which the students rely for fair treatment. The four principles call for "enhancing the human rights of international students," "ensuring all international students have access to human rights and freedom from discrimination protections," "understanding the diverse needs of international students" and "empowering international students during their stay in Australia." For each principle, a series of concrete measures are outlined. For instance, enhancing the human rights of international students is defined as including access to health care while in Australia, affordable places to live, access to safe public transportation and more.