The COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in Australia has sparked a call from the NSW opposition government to allow Australian borders to open to international students who have been unable to resume their studies as a result of the pandemic.
The Australian government has said it will prioritise the return of Australian nationals before any international students, despite the billions of dollars international students fees and taxes contribute to the local economy.
Protests have taken place in India where students claim Australian border closures have caused students to suffer.
Australian borders protest by international students in India https://t.co/HnScxR4UuB via @YouTube
— Brendan Neville (@flaminggoose) March 31, 2021
UOWTV spoke to the UOW Indian Student Association spokesperson Antika Som, as well as international student Sydney Smith, who is currently restricted to studying online overseas.