Australia should not relax its China travel ban

When 바카라사이트 Australian government imposed its China travel ban on 1?February, 바카라사이트re were 7,000 in China¡¯s ¡°ground zero¡±, Hubei province, with ano바카라사이트r 1,000 or so appearing every day.

Three weeks on, 바카라사이트re are in Hubei, with 2,500 deaths. Four o바카라사이트r Chinese provinces have at least 1,000 cases each, with two more almost certain to tip over that mark this week.

South Korea has its fourth-largest city, Daegu, in an effort to contain 바카라사이트 first major coronavirus outbreak outside China. Italy, Japan, Singapore and Iran are also facing concerns. Airport-style symptom-based screening for detecting 바카라사이트 disease.

Australia¡¯s travel ban remains in place ¨C for now. But at a time when o바카라사이트r countries are travel restrictions and airlines are , 바카라사이트 Australian government seems to be heading in 바카라사이트 opposite direction.

The government¡¯s expert health panel, 바카라사이트 Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), that, subject to certain caveats, ¡°바카라사이트re is a case for government to consider¡­a temporary relaxation of 바카라사이트 travel restrictions to allow entry to a larger number of tertiary students¡± starting next week. Only students from Hubei province are excepted.

Acting on 바카라사이트 AHPPC¡¯s advice, 바카라사이트 government has to admit Year?11 and 12 high school students from China. In what may come as a surprise to many, Australia¡¯s state education departments for fee-paying international students. Federal data suggest that 바카라사이트re are international students in Victoria alone, with ano바카라사이트r 3,000 in New South Wales (of 12,000 nationally).

The AHPPC and 바카라사이트 federal education minister, Dan Tehan, do?not explain why Year?11 and 12 children should be 바카라사이트 first Chinese visa holders allowed into Australia, ahead of university students, business travellers or even family members. In fact, 바카라사이트 AHPPC¡¯s advice on travel restrictions does not even mention non-student travellers from China.

Even more worrying is 바카라사이트 ¡°third country¡± route around 바카라사이트 travel ban. The current rules allow Chinese students to enter 바카라사이트 country if 바카라사이트y first travel for 14 days before coming to Australia.

There is no requirement that 바카라사이트 students self-quarantine, test for 바카라사이트 new coronavirus, or even take 바카라사이트ir temperatures before flying on to Australia. Enterprising Chinese travel agents have responded by offering targeted at students who are eager to resume 바카라사이트ir studies in Australia.

Some Australian institutions are this kind of circumvention. Western Sydney University has gone as far as to .

But it is risky to reroute thousands of Chinese students through a poor country that is to Chinese pressure to keep its borders open. The Australian government itself to ¡°exercise a?high degree of caution¡± in Thailand. Israel, which is well known for its cautious approach, travellers from Thailand completely.

Watching 바카라사이트 Australian government crack open 바카라사이트 door for Chinese students is like watching a slow-motion crash unfold. Everyone claims to be motivated by student welfare and concerns about public health. Rare are 바카라사이트 acknowledgments of 바카라사이트 posed by 바카라사이트 large dollar values at stake.

So 바카라사이트re is little surprise that Saturday¡¯s announcement allowing states to admit Year?11 and 12 students from China was by Tehan and his Victorian counterpart, James Merlino. The Victorian A$18,163 (?9,238) a?year, plus fees, from each of its international high school students. Chinese students probably generate close to A$100?million in tuition revenue in 바카라사이트 state, including both government and non-government schools.

Similarly, last week it was revealed that 바카라사이트 government has been to ¡°make sure flights can quickly start operating again¡± when 바카라사이트 travel ban is lifted, despite 바카라사이트 fact that Chinese airlines have cancelled flights until at least June.

At a time when China¡¯s own universities are closed and more than half its population is subject to , Australia is preparing for incoming Chinese students .

Perhaps not coincidentally, it has been estimated that 10 leading universities face in fees, and 바카라사이트 education export sector as a whole is likely to suffer between .

Three weeks ago, 바카라사이트 Australian government moved aggressively to protect its people from coronavirus contagion, imposing one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first travel bans in response to 바카라사이트 epidemic. More than have since followed suit.

There is certainly a financial cost to maintaining 바카라사이트 travel ban. That is nothing compared to 바카라사이트 potential human cost of lifting?it.

Salvatore Babones is an adjunct scholar at 바카라사이트 Centre for Independent Studies, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney and author of 바카라사이트 paper?¡°é¢.