Social media posts presenting overly rosy and sometimes deceptive accounts of life as an international student and ways to circumvent migration laws should be regulated, according to a new paper.
Earvin Charles B Cabalquinto and colleagues from Monash, Deakin and Adelaide said there were ‘dangerous implications concerning deceptive practices and misleading migration-related content, especially when regulations are inconsistent or even missing entirely.”
Digital brokerage refers to the process of sharing information relating to migration, finding jobs and experiencing life as an international student, shared via social media and other digital platforms. This information is largely unregulated and can be misleading, the authors said.
“Online spaces have become crucial entry points for accessing and consuming information on understanding overseas migration and settlement,” they said.
The increasing reliance on digital information sources, “can potentially expose temporary migrants to misleading, predatory and exploitative digital practices, such as scams, fraud and human trafficking.”
Despite the obvious issues, relatively little is known about the extent and diversity of uses of digital technology to broker migration, and more research is required, the authors state.
The authors cite the popularity of the Chinese lifestyle platform Red (Xiaohongshu) as a source of information for Chinese students seeking to come to Australia, noting that while content relating to China’s domestic affairs is heavily regulated, it is not known whether Australian-focused content is reviewed.
The researchers have also analysed a range of TikTok vidoes by Filipino students promoting overseas study pathways, which make it appear easy to migrate and find a job.
“In Australia, policies on the use of digital technologies for migration brokering remain absent,” the authors note.
