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The professional association representing migration agents, the Migration Institute of Australia, is concerned about allegations raised on tonight’s Four Corners program on migration and education scams.

“Unfortunately, hearing reports about international students and visa applicants falling prey to unscrupulous operators is not a new issue”, says Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia.

In May 2008, the MIA reported 60 rogue agents from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and is unaware if any of these were prosecuted.

Any unethical or illegal behaviour by registered migration agents is not tolerated by the Institute and should be cracked down on by the Department.

“We’ve been asking government to sort out problems with education agents and illegal or unscrupulous operators for an extended period of time. The announcement that education agents will have a register is a first step but doesn’t go far enough in reforming the sector,” says Ms Horder.

A recent independent report, entitled Changing Together, confirms the nature of some of the problems which affects the profession – that the bad behaviour of a minority of unscrupulous operators’ impacts negatively on the entire migration advice profession.

“Following the report’s release, the MIA is acting on a comprehensive range of reforms to strengthen standards and ethics of migration agents.” says Ms Horder. These include:

• Comprehensive reform to the education and training of agents
• Requiring current Registered Migration Agents to requalify to a higher standard of English language and professional competence
• Introduce a tiered system of registration to protect consumers
• Formation of an independent complaints body with the power to review fees

Responsibility for change should be shared by education providers, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

“I wait with interest to see tonight’s Four Corners episode and hope that it will provide an added impetus for the key stakeholders to come together and develop appropriate policies to meet Australia’s educational and immigration interests without anyone being exploited.”

  • Source  :  www.mia.org.au
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    The Migration Institute of Australia supports calls for a Senate Inquiry into international education in Australia.   Studying 

    The sector deserves closer scrutiny by government, including an attempt to crack down on education agents here and overseas who, unlike migration agents, can act without regulation. It is an industry too valuable to be hijacked by illegal and unethical behaviour by either desperate visa seekers or unscrupulous operators.

    If migration agents are involved they will be barred from the profession. This behaviour is not tolerated in the migration profession. Students who need immigration or visa advice should only rely on registered migration agents.

    Once arriving here, international students deserve the wholehearted support of the Australian community and it is loathsome that those seeking an education may be targeted by violent offenders. We can’t let a valuable Australian educational experience be tainted by the shocking behaviour of the few.

    Source  www.mia.org.au

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