CANBERRA, Australia: Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has warned that Australia’s student visa system may be at risk of fraud after Indian authorities uncovered a massive network producing fake university degrees, highlighting the potential for similar abuses in Australian sectors.
Posting on X, Roberts said Indian police had seized 100,000 forged certificates linked to 22 universities, warning that over one million counterfeit qualifications could already be in circulation and used to secure jobs abroad.
Police in India have allegedly seized 100,000 forged certificates from 22 universities, with 1 million plus likely used for jobs abroad.
I warned about this in August (and asked questions during October Estimates) — 23,000 foreign students in Australia were found with… pic.twitter.com/nJj6BHvGiV
— Malcolm Roberts 🇦🇺 (@MRobertsQLD) January 6, 2026
He highlighted that he raised the issue during the August and October Estimates, alleging that 23,000 foreign students in Australia held “purchased” degrees, particularly in aged care and early childhood education.
The senator criticised the Albanese Government for failing to respond to what he described as clear breaches of visa and employment rules, claiming his questions to Employment Minister Murray Watt about deportations for fraud were met with “waffling and gaslighting.”
The Indian investigation, conducted by Kerala Police, uncovered a sprawling network across multiple states producing counterfeit university degrees. Authorities arrested 11 individuals and seized certificates, printers, hologram seals, and counterfeit stamps.
Investigators said the fraudulent documents spanned high-risk professions including medicine, nursing, and engineering, and were used to secure positions in both public and private sectors.
Officials warned the haul likely represented only a fraction of the operation, with some estimates suggesting over one million fraudulent certificates had been issued nationwide.
The scheme reportedly generated millions of rupees in illegal profits, with individual certificates sold for between AUD 1,350 and AUD 2,700, and some buyers paying as much as AUD 7,300. Police are now sending seized documents to universities for verification and tracing individuals who obtained employment through fraud.
Roberts said the crackdown in India illustrated the potential risks to public safety and the integrity of Australia’s immigration and employment systems. He called for stronger enforcement to prevent similar academic fraud domestically, though the government has not publicly responded to his claims.
