One Nation leader, Senator Hanson, made the comments to News24, saying: “I think the international student industry that’s been set up by the universities is a farce,” and reinforcing her belief that that people are using student visas “as a backdoor to get into the country”.
Asked for a number on how many international students she would cut, Senator Hanson hit back with: “I’m not putting a figure on it now.”
Speaking to Sky News, Clare defended the government’s approach to international student numbers and argued that the number of international students starting a degree in Australia remains below pre-pandemic levels.
“It is not a farce,” Clare said. “But it is important that we protect the integrity of the system.”
The minister said the government was already tackling problems within the sector through reforms aimed at preventing students from being exploited and curbing practices that undermine the integrity of international education.
“There are shonks and there are dodgy providers who try and make a quick buck out of international students,” said Clare.
“That’s why I introduced legislation into the parliament last year to tackle the integrity issues in this system, because I want to make sure that students get an education, that they don’t get rorted.”
Clare pointed to reforms including a ban on commissions designed to prevent financial incentives from driving student movements between courses.
“Some people want to try and make a quick buck out of international education that will undermine the reputation of this industry,” he said.
The minister also pushed back on claims that Australian universities have become excessively reliant on international students.
Asked why more than half of students at the University of Sydney were reportedly international, Clare said: “Well, they aren’t, and they shouldn’t be.”
He said the government had introduced limits to ensure the university could not increase its international student intake while its proportion remained above 50%.
“Sydney University doesn’t get any more places if they’re going to be above 50%,” he insisted.
Clare repeatedly emphasised that headline international student planning figures should not be confused with the number of students actually starting degrees in Australia.
“The number of international students starting a degree this year is lower than it was before the pandemic,” he said.
“It’s about 13% lower.”
His comments came after the government set a National Planning Level of 295,000 international students for 2026 – 25,000 higher than the previous year.
Clare was challenged over the timing of the increase, arguing that the government had raised the planning level just months after the election despite repeatedly promising to reduce net overseas migration.
Clare rejected the suggestion that the higher international student planning level contradicted the government’s migration policy.
“Net overseas migration numbers and these numbers measure two different things,” he said.
“Net overseas migration measures the total number of people who come into Australia and the total number of people who leave.”
International student planning numbers, he argued, include students who are already in Australia rather than solely people arriving from overseas.
“Many international students who enrol in a course are not coming from overseas, they’re already here,” said Clare.
He also highlighted the government’s broader reduction in net overseas migration.
“Net overseas migration is coming down… It’s dropped by almost 50%.”
The minister also defended the government’s decision to substantially increase the international student visa application fee.
“We haven’t doubled it, we’ve tripled it,” he said.
“It’s gone from about 700 bucks to about $2,500.”
Asked whether the increase was primarily a revenue-raising measure, Clare said the money was helping fund the government’s higher education reforms.
“This pays for more Aussie students to do a uni degree.”
Clare argued that international students should not be viewed as taking university places away from Australians.
“There’s a myth out there that an international student takes a place off an Aussie student at university,” he said.
He said the government’s University Accord reforms would inject an additional AUS$3.5 billion over 10 years to expand access to university for students from disadvantaged and regional backgrounds.
“And when you triple the fee for international students – guess what – it helps to fund those reforms,” the minister said.
He also pointed to paid placements for students undertaking practical training, saying international student revenues were helping support the expansion of those programs.
Clare rejected the suggestion that the government was increasing international student numbers because universities could not otherwise be adequately funded.
But he acknowledged the financial contribution international students make to Australian higher education.
“International students do help to fund the reforms that we’re implementing so more Aussie kids get a crack at university… They also help to fund some of the research that universities do.”
He pointed to university research behind technologies including Wi-Fi and solar panels as examples of the wider economic and social contribution of the sector.
“There might be a couple of people listening or watching at the moment that have got solar panels on their roof? Guess where that came from? Research from the University of NSW.”
The interview also focused on the number of international students and former students remaining in Australia after completing their studies. Clare rejected the suggestion that most international students remain permanently in Australia.
“Most international students go home, full stop,” he said.
He nevertheless acknowledged that further reforms were required.
“If somebody comes here and studies to become a doctor or a nurse, then it makes sense for us to employ them in a hospital for a while so we get some value back out of the education that they’ve got,” Clare said.
“But that doesn’t mean that reform is over… or that there isn’t more that needs to be done here.”
