3 least racist countries for Indian students

It’s important that all countries treat their international students fairly and kindly. The least racist countries for Indian students are shining examples of this.

Every year, many Indian students choose to study abroad, seek opportunities and experience life beyond their home country.

In 2021, there were about 1.09 million Indian students studying abroad in 85 different countries. 

Studying abroad is a great experience for students. It allows them to explore new cultures, enhance their skills, meet new people and even learn a new language.  

Choosing to do so, however, comes with its own set of challenges. When Indian students live in a foreign country, many times, racial discrimination comes hand in hand with this.

Experiencing this can take a toll on international students and cause psychological distress. This on top of the stress of university life can be overwhelming for students.

While eradicating racism completely is going to take some time, the government and universities can take action to reduce the amount of racial discrimination that international students face.

There are several countries that have begun to take steps towards making the country more accommodating and welcoming for Indian students. 

So if you are an Indian student looking to study abroad, here is a list of the least racist countries to study at.

The number of Indian international students continues to grow overseas, especially in the least racist countries for Indian students. Source: Torsten Blackwood/AFP

Three best countries with the least racism against Indian students:

Canada

Canada is recognised as the fourth safest country in the world by US News. Aside from its beautiful landscapes, the country is known for being peaceful, extremely friendly and having a multicultural environment. 

For these reasons exactly, many Indian students choose to leave home to study in India. In 2022, Canada broke the record by enrolling over 550,000 new international students.

As such, Canada has become the second most popular study-abroad destination among Indian students.  

A report by Forbes also found that the number of Indians who become permanent residents increased from 39,340 in 2016 to 80,685 in 2019. 

Its multicultural and welcoming nature allows Indians to feel safe and supported in the country. 

In fact, the country has set laws and programmes that protect its people against discrimination which includes gender, race or ethnicity. 

Australia is one of the least racist countries for Indian students. Source: William West/AFP

Australia 

Australia is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world.

This recognition is given as the country has one of the lowest records of crime, a multicultural environment and a welcoming community where the people are extremely friendly and outgoing.

Hence why “The Land Down Under” is a very popular destination among international students – especially Indian students.

In fact, it is the most popular study-abroad destination for Indian students. 

As the country is home to over 50,000 Indian students, efforts have been taken by the government and universities to protect them. 

“Racism. It Stops With Me” is a national campaign to help people and organisations learn about racism and take action to stop it. 

Several universities such as Universities Australia and Victoria University (VU) are joining in on this campaign to support their students. 

Strong laws and policies against racism are crucial to be one of the least racist countries for Indian students. Source: Narinder Nanu/AFP

New Zealand 

New Zealand is considered one of the best countries in the world for international students. It is praised for its safety, peace and cleanliness. 

As such, many international students choose to study in New Zealand — this includes Indian students.

In 2022, there was a 28% growth in the number of Indian students enrolled at higher education institutions in the country. 

While abolishing racism completely is difficult, the country has made an effort to reduce racism as much as possible. 

The Human Rights Commission launched the country’s first anti-racism campaign. In just a month, they were able to reach four million people, and this number continues to rise. 

NZ universities have also made an effort to fight against racism. The University of Waikato, for example, is aiming to become the country’s first anti-racist institute.