An Australian homestay incident caused a Hong Kong teen to be sent back home

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The mother of a teenager who was sent back to Hong Kong after a “traumatising” homestay experience is considering legal action over the way her daughter’s case was allegedly handled.

The daughter, who SBS Cantonese is calling Athena (not her real name), has alleged she was deported from Australia after an incident with her host family in Perth, where she had been studying, in March. She has since returned.

Authorities have not referenced a deportation order or anything to suggest Athena’s visa was cancelled. The girl and her mother have also told SBS Cantonese they have received no formal correspondence suggesting either of these things happened.

SBS Cantonese, however, has seen documents, video and audio recordings, and some of these state Athena was sent back to Hong Kong due to welfare concerns because she had nowhere else to stay. In a video recording, however, a police officer uses the word “deported”, while in a separate audio recording Athena is told she may not be able to re-enter the country by a person said to be a police officer before another person, also said to be a police officer, says she could return at any point.

What is alleged to have happened?

Athena, 16, said she was granted a student visa in 2023 and started high school — Year 9 — in Queensland, where she had enjoyed her homestay on the Gold Coast.

She then moved to Western Australia to continue her studies in Perth this year, where she moved in with a host family in February.

Athena said tensions grew over household rules she said had been agreed upon before she moved in, as well as rules and restrictions that she said were not mentioned prior to her move.

The Australian Homestay Network (AHN) is the designated homestay provider engaged by TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) — which sits within the state’s Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD). AHN said it could not provide the contact details of the host family for privacy reasons, but told SBS Cantonese it would contact them to ask if they would like to comment. AHN told SBS Cantonese on Thursday the host family would “not be responding at this stage”.

A statutory declaration, given to her lawyers and filed as part of an appeal, details, among other things, the alleged events leading up to the moment she was returned to Hong Kong.

It suggests tensions reached a boiling point on 3 March when, while Athena was speaking to her mother on the phone, the mother of her host family said they needed to talk because things were “not working out” as Athena’s routine and the host family’s were “not working”.

It states the host mother was allegedly bothered by her sleeping immediately after school before waking in the evening and studying through the night. Athena said the host mother had confirmed she was agreeable to this routine before she moved in.

The situation escalated, according to Athena, with the host mother allegedly threatening to terminate the homestay arrangement.

Athena then called the police because, she alleged, her host mother was screaming at her. Police attended the property with a representative from the DTWD.

WA Police attended Athena’s homestay with a representative from the state’s Department of Training and Workforce Development. Source: AAP / Richard Wainwright

A screen recording of a video call, seen by SBS Cantonese, appears to show Athena’s mother, two police officers, and someone identified by Athena as a family friend based in Perth. Athena can also be heard. In the recording, it is confirmed her mother is looking at booking a flight from Hong Kong to arrive in Perth the following day. One of the police officers then says: “Hold off, we are going to send her home tonight on a flight to Hong Kong … she is going to go home tonight on a flight … she is being deported.”

In a separate audio recording, Athena accuses police of not listening to her side of the story. A person, said to be one of the police officers, then says Athena’s safety is her primary concern and that she: “Needs to remove you [Athena] from a situation where you feel unsafe, and make sure that I return you to new situation that is totally safe … and that right now, that safety is going to your mum.”

Later in the recording, someone else, said to be one of the police officers, says: “When you go home, they probably won’t let you back to the country.” Someone else, said to be one of the police officers, then says, “Your visa will just be revoked … it’s not going to be cancelled”, before someone else, said to be one of the police officers, then says: “So you can come back any time, but tonight you have to go back to Hong Kong.”

A letter from TIWA dated 4 March, seen by SBS Cantonese, states Athena’s enrolment was cancelled due to “welfare risk”. It confirms police attended her home stay on 3 March after she had contacted WA Police because she “feared for her safety”. It says TIWA was unable to accommodate a request to transfer Athena to the care of an acquaintance — the person said to be a family friend on the video call — because a previous declaration said her mother had no friends or relatives in Australia.

“To address the primary concern being [Athena’s] safety and wellbeing, it was arranged for her to return to Hong Kong to be taken care of by her mother,” the letter reads.

Another letter confirmed her accommodation and welfare arrangements had been cancelled. It notes: “Local and federal police are managing the return of the student on a flight … 4/3/25 due to a history of reports of student behaviour — TIWA 3/3/25.” Neither letter details reports of prior incidents beyond that on 3 March.

A couple of days later, Athena and her mother returned to Australia and engaged lawyers who appealed TIWA’s decision, and it was confirmed successful on 25 March.

“After considering the evidence provided by you, past and current homestay/boarding outcomes and academic history, it has been agreed to allow [Athena] to continue her studies, therefore making her appeal successful,” TIWA stated.

‘Very horrible experience’

Athena is now staying with another host family in Perth and hopes to continue her studies.

Her mother, who has requested anonymity, said the incident has raised a number of questions about how the matter was handled, and says she is considering legal action to bring her daughter justice.

“I think it’s very unfair, the decision they made, or all the things they did, they didn’t explain, or they didn’t apologise, I think it’s a very horrible experience,” she said.

SBS Cantonese contacted her lawyer, but he declined to comment.

Athena said the “trauma” from the incident was “quite big”.

“I have gone to see a psychologist; the psychologist asked me to visit once a week on a regular basis,” she said.

Will Kwong, a Hong Kong-based education consultant who supports girls in their studies, said conflicts between international students and host families do sometimes occur, often due to cultural differences and differing living habits.

“About half of the Australian cases we handle involve homestay issues,” he said. “Most are resolved, but if not, we help students relocate.”

Kwong questioned whether authorities mishandled Athena’s case, saying emergency accommodation should have been arranged instead of sending her back to Hong Kong.

He believes there is a lack of a standard communication mechanism between local agents and schools, leaving decisions to administrators unfamiliar with international students. He said the Australian government should review its current procedures.

Authorities respond

SBS Cantonese contacted WA Police which confirmed officers had attended an address in Morley on 3 March along with a representative from DTWD, with a spokesperson saying the incident was resolved at the scene and no further police action was required.

“The Department of Training and Workforce Development drove a young person from the premises to the international airport where the person was presented to federal authorities,” the spokesperson said. “WA Police Force officers followed the vehicle to the airport but had no further involvement in this matter.”

WA Police initially said DTWP had acted “under the direction of the Department of Home Affairs” but later retracted that statement after SBS Cantonese contacted the department.

The department said, after consulting with WA Police, it had not been involved in the case and would not provide comment.

When SBS Cantonese asked WA Police why Athena had been provided conflicting information and why the term “deported” had been used, a spokesperson referred to the earlier statement.

A DTWD spokesperson said the department does not comment on individual cases but stressed that student welfare is the top priority in all international student matters handled by TIWA. The spokesperson said neither DTWD nor TIWA has the authority to deport students, and that visa matters fall under the responsibility of the Department of Home Affairs.

The spokesperson said TIWA complies with Standard 5 of the 2018 National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, which requires education providers to ensure the welfare of international students under 18 throughout their stay in Australia, as a condition of their student visa.

“TIWA is responsible for managing enrolments for students under their care,” the spokesperson said. “If appropriate support and welfare arrangements can be re-established at a future date, then the enrolment can be reinstated.”

WA Premier Roger Cook was asked about the incident at a press conference on Tuesday.

He was unaware of it, but said WA remains a “safe place” to study.