With the federal government’s recent announcement to begin the phased return of international students in July, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is set to lead the charge and be the first jurisdiction to reintroduce international students into the country.
According to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, the territory is “best-placed” to lead the pilot plan as Canberra has continued to remain open for interstate Australians.
“We have done a lot of work with the universities over the last six weeks or so to have a really well-developed proposal that’s before the Commonwealth,” said the chief minister.
“So, I am confident that yes given we have not closed our borders to other Australians that we are the best-placed jurisdiction to manage that first international student pilot back into Australia.”
According to Barr, only a few hundred international students will be allowed to reenter the country initially, and that all returning students must still adhere to the same quarantine regulations and health safety measures as the citizens and residents who have currently reentering Australia as part of the government’s repatriation efforts.
“It will be in the low hundreds we are talking about one or two flights initially so just as we have managed repatriation flights.
Colleges and universities within ACT are expected to make further announcements to their students regarding the pilot plan within the week.
According to a statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week, the federal government has agreed to work closely with states and territories in order to ensure the safe and careful return of international students on a “small, phased scale through a series of controlled pilots.”
“Preconditions will include the reopening of internal state and territory borders, as well as the return to on-campus learning for the benefit of domestic students and the international students who are already in Australia,” Morrison said in a media release.
Aside from ACT, New South Wales and Victoria have also continued to keep their borders open during the coronavirus pandemic. South Australia is set to lift restrictions on interstate travelers this July 20. However, borders remain closed in other states and territories, only allowing travelers to pass for essential reasons.
