Qatar – Travel bubble with Singapore brings international students back to Australia

Qatar – Travel bubble with Singapore brings international students back to Australia

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) MELBOURNE: A group of international university students arrived in Australia from Singapore on Sunday after nearly a two-year pandemic absence, as a travel bubble between the two countries came into effect. Fully vaccinated travellers from Singapore are now allowed into Melbourne or Sydney without the need to quarantine - part of Australia's gradual reopening of its borders that began this month. Australia closed its international borders in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Catriona Jackson, chief executive of Universities Australia, which represents 39 universities, said the flights from Singapore saw the first international students enter Australia since small numbers returned in November last year. "We understand these initial numbers are small, but they are a clear signal of the intent to allow many more students to return to classes and our communities soon," Jackson said. There are about 130, 000 international students remaining outside Australia, she added. Before the pandemic, international students made up 21% of Australia's tertiary education students, compared to 6% on average across countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Australia's closed borders have also intensified a skills shortage across sectors, forcing firms to start offering