Indian students safest in Australia: Australian Prime Minister
Rudd said that if international comparative criminal data was looked into Australia would still be the safest country in the world, safer than UK, France, Italy, USA.
By Roli Srivastava, TNN |
CANBERRA: Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd said on Wednesday that an assault against any international student was ������ one assault too many��� ��� and that the Australian government has taken the racial attacks on Indian students very seriously.
Speaking to an Indian media delegation, Rudd assured that the Australian government was ������ sensitive to the well-being of every international student��� ��� and that it would do everything possible to maximise security.
However, he pointed out that if the international comparative criminal data was looked into Australia would still be the safest country in the world, safer than UK, France, Italy, USA. ������ In relative terms, Indians and international students are safer here than in most other countries,������ Rudd said, soon after he came out after an extended question time session in the Parliament. He said that homicidal rates in Australia were lower than the other countries.
������ We will work our way through this with many friends in the Indian community,������ he said. He pointed out that Australians too have been attacked in the past, 20 times in India alone. ������ We have a million Australians travelling at any time,������ he said.
Referring to his recent conversations with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rudd said that attacks on Australians (in India ) do not mean that ������ We blame the Indian people or the government .������ A high profile delegation would also be sent to India next month to address concerns regarding education in Australia. Officials said that these attacks were more ������ opportunistic than racist������ .
Immigration minister Chris Evans said India was a huge supplier of temporary and permanent immigrants and desis were largely driving the IT and healthcare sector of Australia. ������ They are welcome in Australia and Australia is not racist,������ he said.
Presently, there are 96,000 Indian students in Australia, a number that has shot over the last few years. There were only 15,000 students in 2005.
Speaking to an Indian media delegation, Rudd assured that the Australian government was ������ sensitive to the well-being of every international student��� ��� and that it would do everything possible to maximise security.
However, he pointed out that if the international comparative criminal data was looked into Australia would still be the safest country in the world, safer than UK, France, Italy, USA. ������ In relative terms, Indians and international students are safer here than in most other countries,������ Rudd said, soon after he came out after an extended question time session in the Parliament. He said that homicidal rates in Australia were lower than the other countries.
������ We will work our way through this with many friends in the Indian community,������ he said. He pointed out that Australians too have been attacked in the past, 20 times in India alone. ������ We have a million Australians travelling at any time,������ he said.
Referring to his recent conversations with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rudd said that attacks on Australians (in India ) do not mean that ������ We blame the Indian people or the government .������ A high profile delegation would also be sent to India next month to address concerns regarding education in Australia. Officials said that these attacks were more ������ opportunistic than racist������ .
Immigration minister Chris Evans said India was a huge supplier of temporary and permanent immigrants and desis were largely driving the IT and healthcare sector of Australia. ������ They are welcome in Australia and Australia is not racist,������ he said.
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Presently, there are 96,000 Indian students in Australia, a number that has shot over the last few years. There were only 15,000 students in 2005.
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