Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has reignited debate over Australia’s student visa system, citing a major fake degree crackdown in India and alleging similar abuses have occurred domestically.
Posting on X, Senator Roberts claimed Indian police had seized 100,000 forged certificates linked to 22 universities, warning that more than one million counterfeit qualifications may already be in circulation and used to secure jobs overseas.
Senator Roberts said he had raised the issue in August and during October Estimates, alleging that 23,000 foreign students in Australia were found with “purchased” degrees, particularly in aged care and early childhood sectors.
Senator Roberts criticised the Albanese Government, accusing it of failing to act on what he described as clear visa breaches. He said he had questioned Employment Minister Murray Watt about deportations for fraud but received “waffling and gaslighting”.
The senator’s comments followed a sweeping investigation by Kerala Police, which uncovered a sprawling network producing and distributing counterfeit university degrees across multiple Indian states. Police arrested 11 people and seized more than 100,000 fake certificates tied to 22 institutions, with investigators warning the haul may represent only a fraction of the operation’s true scale.
Authorities said the forged documents covered high-risk professions including medicine, nursing and engineering, and were used to unlawfully secure jobs in both public and private sectors. Investigators estimate the syndicate issued certificates to more than one million people nationwide, undermining recruitment systems and raising serious public safety concerns.
Each forged certificate was sold for between AUD 1,350 and AUD 2,700, while investigators say some buyers paid as much as AUD 3,600 to AUD 7,300, generating crores of rupees in illegal profits.
As per Indian media, the main accused, Dhaneesh—also known as “Dany”—had previously been arrested in 2013 before rebuilding the operation from Tamil Nadu, employing experienced printers from Sivakasi and agents across several states.
In one strand of the probe, police detained suspects in Malappuram district after discovering forged certificates bearing the names of universities in Kerala and Bengaluru. Officers later arrested three men in Sivakasi, in Virudhunagar district, seizing computers, fake seals and counterfeit degrees. The suspects were produced before a magistrate and remanded for further investigation in Kerala.
Police also recovered printers, hologram seals and forged university stamps from multiple locations, and are examining whether any university officials aided the scam by supplying templates or sensitive information. The fake certificates will be sent to universities for verification as authorities trace individuals who obtained employment using fraudulent credentials.
Roberts said the Indian crackdown underscored the need for tougher enforcement in Australia, arguing that academic fraud posed risks to public safety and system integrity. The government has not publicly responded to his latest claims.
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