‘Thrown into chaos’: thousands of international students left in limbo as WA border stays shut

The University of Western Australia. Universities say staff and students are understandably disappointed by the snap border decision after working hard to ensure a smooth return. Photograph: Adwo/Alamy

Western Australian universities have “been thrown into chaos” by the decision to keep the state’s border closed, industry insiders say, with thousands of international students caught in limbo by the snap decision.

The state was set to reopen its border to travellers without quarantine from 5 February, but at a late-night press conference last week the premier, Mark McGowan, announced that had been postponed due to the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.