International students from countries that criminalise homosexuality have been blackmailed in Victoria. The threat used against them is exposure—being outed to authorities or family members back home, where such disclosure can lead to imprisonment or worse. This has come to light through testimony given to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-LGBTIQA+ Hate Crimes on 24 June 2026, as reported by The Guardian.

The inquiry had already uncovered other harms. Earlier evidence showed that gay and bisexual men were using dating apps, only to be lured into situations where they were violently attacked. The Guardian reported in February that these attacks were linked to far-right online networks. The extortion of international students is different but related: instead of physical attack, the weapon is fear. Someone threatens to tell authorities in the student's home country that they are gay—in places where that is illegal.

Why does this threat work so powerfully? In dozens of countries around the world, same-sex relationships are illegal. A student exposed to authorities in such a country could face arrest, imprisonment, or even execution. Here is the crucial problem: Australian law cannot protect that student from harm that happens in another country. The injury happens far beyond where Australian courts have power. That gap makes this harder to solve through legislation than ordinary hate crimes.

Thorne Harbour Health, a health organisation in Melbourne, gave evidence to the inquiry in February 2026. Since 2024, it has been providing safety advice and support to people hurt by attacks arranged through dating apps. Switchboard Victoria, led by Chief Executive Officer Chad Hughes, is also working with the inquiry. The Office of the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTQIA+ Communities provided an update on 29 March 2026.

The Conversation published an article in February 2026 about how dating platforms are being used to harm LGBTQ users. It raised questions about whether the companies that run these apps have a responsibility to help. Victoria Police currently treats blackmail using intimate images (called sextortion) as a sexual offence, and provides public guidance on how to report it. The question of whether blackmail based only on the threat of exposure—without sharing images—counts as the same crime remains unclear.

The inquiry must deliver its final report by 1 September 2026. There is still time for the committee to address what it has learned about extortion. Its recommendations might focus on several areas: what responsibilities dating app companies should have, whether police need special training for these cases, or how universities can work with student support services to help international students.

Community groups are already stepping in to help. Thorne Harbour has been offering support for two years—longer than the inquiry itself has existed.

What we are seeing is a pattern: people who harm others find ways to target those they see as easier victims. Gay international students fit that profile. They may not know what legal protections exist in Australia. They may worry that reporting the crime will put their student visa at risk. And most importantly, they can be threatened with exposure in a country far away where Australian law cannot help them. That combination makes them targets.

When the inquiry releases its findings in September, it will say something important about how seriously Victoria's government takes this problem. It is not just about hate crime in Australia. It is about whether we protect students from countries where being gay is dangerous, and what responsibility we have when we invite them here to study.