The tragic death of 24-year-old international student Parbhat has ignited a passionate call for increased support for migrants in Australia. Parbhat disappeared around Albany, roughly 400 kilometers south of Perth, in August of 2024. His tragic disappearance underscored the unique mental health challenges that many international students experience. Working as a kitchen hand and an aspiring chef, he was put under the extreme stress of juggling work and study. This very busy, high-stress lifestyle only exacerbated his loneliness.
Parbhat’s family wants others to know that he was lonely ever since he moved to Australia. Before moving to Perth in 2021, Parbhat shared accommodation with his cousin Rahul in Melbourne. The transition surely came with profound emotional consequences for him. His disappearance and subsequent death have sparked outrage and concern over the support structures in place for international students.
A Series of Difficulties
Parbhat’s challenges started to worsen after a king hit attack when he was waiting for a train home to Mosman Park. The experience has made him anxious about traveling and/or stolen phone in addition. Replacing his phone created extreme economic hardship for him. This just exacerbated his issues and drove him even further from his friends and support community.
Parbhat had support at hand, with student support officers, counseling, and mental health services. Despite all of this, he refused to complain about his struggles. His cousin Rahul remembered that Parbhat rarely talked about his difficulties. This reluctance likely exacerbated his plight.
“He wanted to make his parents proud,” – Rahul
Overwhelmed, he fell silent—something that is all too common among international students. As my fellow community leader Asha Bhat emphasized, that sense of isolation and disconnection is a widely shared experience among newcomers.
Community Response
Parbhat’s death has sparked local leaders to call for better protections and support networks for international students. Bhat underscored the importance of inclusive community spaces that help build connection with each other and a sense of belonging.
“Communities need to become much more empathetic and mindful of people who are vulnerable in a community,” she stated. As Bhat explains, migrants need more than jobs and education. They need a thick layer of safety and community nurturing.
Asha Bhat expressed her concern over the isolation many international students experience, saying, “One young woman told me she had not shared another meal with another person in weeks.” This harsh reality highlights the dire need for outreach and relationship-building within migrant communities.
“This kind of silence eats away at you.” – Asha Bhat
Bhat’s perspective is representative of a growing awareness of international students’ mental health struggles. She emphasized that each individual’s needs may vary significantly: “Do not assume what might work for you will work for them — they might be socially anxious or have mobility issues.”
Mental Health and Support Services
Mental health advocates have recently increased their efforts to call for outreach that can help prevent more tragedies with targeted outreach. Michelle Lim, a mental health advocate, emphasized that it’s human nature for people to want to feel connected to the people around them.
“It’s an innate human signal for us to reach out and connect with other people.” – Michelle Lim
As the tragic case of Parbhat testifies, this is a pressing need. We need to invest in providing targeted, culturally-responsive, supportive services that help students navigate academic stress and mental health. With timely intervention, both legislative and personal, their lives can be saved. By meeting these fundamental needs, we foster a climate where international students feel empowered to ask for assistance.
