Indian Students Protests on Australian Roads - But Why?
Numerous indian "students" in australia are demonstrating in support of permanent residency. These people arrived in australia on student visas, but they are requesting asylum in order to remain here rather than going back to india after their studies are over. Recent protests have been strong.
For the last nine days, asylum seekers in Perth have camped out in front of Labor mp Sam Lim's office, requesting permanent residency in order to get out from under the restrictions of their temporary bridging visas. These visas do not grant Medicare, employment, or study privileges, and they require continuous renewal.
After mano Yogalingam, a tamil asylum seeker, self-immolated in melbourne last month after waiting 12 years for a permanent visa, the situation grew even more critical. For more than a month, demonstrators have been gathered outside the office of home Affairs minister Tony Burke in Melbourne. On august 31, more than 500 demonstrators from throughout the country gathered in Sydney to demand improved safeguards and a stop to deportations. The Refugee Council demands that asylum seekers be afforded the fundamental rights to security, employment, and education and condemns the way the government is managing the problem.