I have been reading about the plight of the Indian Student. In short they are victims of migrant scams, dodgy courses, exploited in the workforce and basically used as a money source by sharks, even their own race exploit them by paying less than legal wages. Seeing they are poor and really just kids, it seems sort of unethical to me to see them only in terms of money. Also they seem to suffer a high number of suicides. Their families invest a lot of money and also go into enormous debt for them to make it here in Australia and we rip them off for their trouble. The pressure on these kids must be enormous.

When I read about the condition they deal with I think I am reading about a third world country, not Australia. So we are wrong in our treatment of these young kids who probably arrive full of excitement before being destroyed by soul destroying work selling door to door or by the infamous under paying 7-11 while they study a useless course.

India has been wrong to base the attack on the vague notion this murder may have been racial because I am sure 99% of Australians would support the kids if they knew the treatment they have received is Un- Australian.

The government of Australia does need to make a statement and apologise for this treatment and ignore the misguided hysterical waffle from the Indian Government and simply consider Australian values that urgently require re-inforcing.

If we fix the above problems it would automatically improve their standard of living and reduce their exposure to criminals.

That is true Missus. Indian and other foreign students have been victim to some of the worst money making scams under re-skilling programs. That is what happens when education is handed over to the private sector. Similar in the case of migration agents - a misnomer if ever there was one and an industry prone to scams.

Many of the colleges in question are foreign owned and often run by citizens of those countries where the students originate more's the pity. In a sense we are exporting our education services in that sector.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/private-college-system-a-fiasco-in-need-of-a-fix-20091123-ixi3.html?comments=46

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/27/2636823.htm

India should be encouraging their citizens not to come to Australia until there is more government oversight of these industries. Get rid of migration agents altogether - they are not needed in the system if there is adequate information available through normal processes.

Really when you think about it the government is strongly opposed to people smuggling but this is really no different..except it is legal. You could even accuse the government of being party to people smuggling by allowing it to happen. Now the Indian government are acting like total morons but we lowered our standards so not guilt free by any means!

IMO pelican is on the right track. It appears TheMissus, that Australia will tolerate almost any (dodgy) business model regardless of the morality providing;

a. It creates Jobs or wealth!

b. Doesn't disadvantage Mass Aussie voters!

Once a gain, the golden rule ..."he who has the gold rules" and "gold has no morals".
As for the immigration agents they're often no more valuable than many 'financial' advisers realistically neither are worth their fees. Legal leeches preying on the ignorant and vulnerable. Perhaps they should only be paid on results and then subject to strict fee scale control.

TheMissus I don't think Aussies in general care enough to be bothered.

Notwithstanding my disgust for "leech economics" it would be difficult in the absence to the proven motive for this murder to describe it as absolutely racially motivated. Otherwise the murder of an Aussie in the same area and lack of provable motive might be fairly described as a race killing even though it may be for a dozen other reasons.
I too, am reluctant to Jump to conclusions. The best that can be said is that it 'maybe' race motivated.

While I agree largely with the above sentiments I think that most Indians coming here still get a better standard of life than they do back home. Otherwise they would stop coming here albeit through scams.