Foreign students should be required to return home before applying for further study in Australia to prevent abuse of the immigration system and reduce the backlog in deporting unlawful non-citizens.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said universities addicted to easy foreign student money were complicit in the abuse, which was partly responsible for the record 2.6 million temporary visa holders currently in Australia.

“Many of these people are occupying homes and accessing services that should be for Australians first,” Senator Hanson said. “It’s apparent that when it comes to some of these students, there’s no intention to study and every intention of abusing the system to access economic benefits and high Australian wages.

“There’s been an explosion of foreign students abusing the system with ‘course-hopping’. They get a student visa, drop out soon after and apply to a bunch of bogus schools or courses while remaining on a bridging visa which allows them to work and access housing and services in Australia.

“On average these bridging visas last around 200 days before their new study visa application is processed. If they’re knocked back they just appeal it – the average waiting time for appeals is another 64 weeks, again on a bridging visa. Many even claim asylum despite having no grounds, because your average waiting time on such an application is around three years. If that’s knocked back, they just appeal it again so they can spend more time making money in Australia.

“The number of foreign students on bridging visas has blown out from 13,000 to more than 107,000 in just three years. The system is being scammed, and universities addicted to foreign student money are part of the problem. It’s no coincidence many universities based elsewhere have campuses and shop fronts in Sydney where most foreign students want to end up. For what reason does Central Queensland University – which in 2023 recorded a 57.2% first-year dropout rate among foreign students – have a campus in Sydney if not to grab a slice of the foreign student windfall?

“It’s another example of why Australian universities must be broken of their addiction to foreign students and be forced to prioritise education for Australians.”

Senator Hanson said One Nation’s policy would ensure foreign students who drop out of courses would not receive bridging visas to remain and work in Australia, and would not be able to lodge appeals with the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).