1.8 million Indian students abroad, but safety now matters

In 2025 India has already seen 18 million students head abroad for higher studies but hopefuls for the September intake remain cautious weighing safety concerns in addition to visa policies courses and universities The sociopolitical climate in host countries has now become a key factor in decisionmakingldquoParents are considering safety measures such as gun control as important determinants while choosing study destinations This has diversified choices with countries like Dubai Malaysia Hong Kong Japan and even some universities in Italy and France gaining tractionrdquo said Dhaval Mehta founder of Globestar Career Counselling ServicesMehta noted that the UK and Ireland once strong job hubs have seen a decline in appeal ldquoItrsquos true that immigrants always work harder so once the turmoil settles opportunities will return But right now parents are worriedrdquo he addedConcerns have escalated after recent incidents assaults on Indian students in Ireland and Adelaide antiimmigrant protests in Australia and the shooting of a public figure at a US university Experts say this has chipped away at the allure of oncepopular destinationsldquoAustralia UAE Dubai and Germany are more in demand now while the USA Canada and UK have lost some sheenrdquo said Joyce Issac founder of Providence Education Advisory ldquoParents are increasingly concerned about safety and longterm prospects I strongly believe studying abroad may not offer the same benefits it once didrdquoDr Karan Gupta career consultant added ldquoMany parents now avoid Canada due to Khalistan protests Ireland and Australia are also being skipped over because of visa hurdles job permit issues and safety concerns Such safety concerns are springing up in a first since COVID19rdquoWith uncertainty high students are mapping out Plan B and Plan C options While the USA remains the top pick many are also applying to universities in Europe Singapore and elsewhere to safeguard against visa or geopolitical troublesStill others argue the concerns are overstated ldquoThese incidents are isolated mdash only a few in a million In fact this year we saw a 10 per cent rise in undergraduate applications to the USArdquo said education consultant Viral Doshi ldquoFamilies are simply avoiding areas like Texas rural LA and parts of ChicagordquoCompounding concerns are visa delays and rejections Canada for example admitted 88617 fewer new students between JanuaryndashJune 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 government data showsPiyush Kumar regional director at IDP Education added that despite sporadic incidents relations between India and study destinations like the UK remain strong ldquoThe UKrsquos FTA with India and the Prime Ministerrsquos upcoming visit are positive signals Australia meanwhile has announced an increase in international student intake from 270000 in 2025 to 295000 in 2026rdquo he saidA Parent speaksMansi Sanghvi parent WalkeshwarlsquoBeing a parent therersquos always fear in sending your child so far away At 18 Indian children are already very sheltered here so the thought of them abroad is difficult The cultural unrest around international students makes it worse But once we visited the university in Illinois and saw the environment we felt more at easersquoStudents speakFala B London UK MSc Business AnalyticslsquoThe news of assaults against Indians in Ireland the US and Canada is scary Irsquove been in the UK for over two years and have never faced hate but the fear lingers Many worry about jobs too mdash corporate roles with visa sponsorship are hard to get though hospitality and retail jobs are plenty My experience has been good but the visa rules changing all the time keeps us on edgersquoAnonymous Melbourne Australia Masterrsquos in MarketinglsquoIndians should think twice before coming here There are stabbings and gunshots almost daily often targeting brown skin Locals fear wersquoll take their jobs Even finding casual work is tough With such high fees and visa uncertainty the pressure is huge but in the end itrsquos still worth the strugglersquoAlok P New Zealand Masterrsquos in MarketinglsquoMy experience in New Zealand has been wonderful A local Airbnb couple helped me settle in professors and classmates are supportive and Irsquove faced no racism Customers and colleagues at work have all been welcomingrsquo270000No of students moved to Australia in 2025295000No of students will move to Australia in 2026