Unlike domestic students in NSW, international students are not eligible for travel concessions. In 2006, this was determined to be racial discrimination, but still today the practice continues. For decades students, student organisations, universities and community groups have been campaigning for international students to be able to have equal access to travel concessions as their local counterparts.
Now is the time for us to finally fix this - and end this discrimination in our laws.
Urge the Premier to support the Bill to grant international students travel concessions - Sign the Petition here.
On 3 June 2020, Jenny Leong MP, Greens NSW Multicultural spokesperson and Member for Newtown introduced a Bill to allow international student access to travel concessions.
International students and other non-citizens were also hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and were excluded from the income support and health care given to Australian citizens. Read about our work to support international students and non-citizens during the pandemic here.
Jenny spoke in the NSW parliament on March 23, 2021 on the need for international students to be able to access travel concessions. You can see this speech here.