Backfire: the game of economic logic that went wrong

Cash cows or backdoor migrants – what are the realities of international students and skilled migration? By Shanthi Robertson

The student-migrants at the centre of the recent skilled migration changes have been cast in contradictory roles by the Australian media. On the one hand, they are portrayed as victims, the unwitting cash cows of unscrupulous migration agents and education providers. On the other, they are also portrayed as backdoor migrants who are strategically exploiting the system to gain Australian permanent residency (PR). The reality of the potential migrants caught in the maelstrom surrounding the mismanaged intertwining of Australia's higher education and migration sectors is markedly more complex....