NOVOCASTRIANS may think Newcastle is a great place to live but some residents are not enjoying their stay.
International students at the University of Newcastle say intimidation, abuse and general hostility have become almost a daily occurrence, and they would warn their peers about studying in the city.
Such warnings could have ramifications for the region, with international students worth more than $36 million to the university each year and more to the surrounding economies.
The revelations come after up to 20 youths bashed five students in Jesmond last weekend.
Newcastle University Student Association international convenor Eduardo Carvajal said assaults were common in Newcastle, but more common among international students.
In the latest attack, the students, aged 24 to 26, were walking home from a hotel along Blue Gum Road early on Saturday morning.
They said they were surrounded by up to 20 youths aged about 12 to 18 who punched and kicked them, leaving most bruised and one bleeding from the head.
The students, from countries including Mexico, Sri Lanka, Japan and the Philippines, contacted police only to be told the perpetrators were unlikely be charged as they were under 18. The students said they were living in fear and did not want to be named.
Mr Carvajal said there were places in town where international students just could not go.
"If you look a bit different you are targeted more," he said..
International students told The Herald that people often yelled obscenities at them from passing cars, one had a drink bottle thrown as his head sitting at a bus stop, while another said youths had tried to intimidate them by standing in front of their car.
But they said the situation was worse for African and Muslim students, especially women.
"If you speak in another language on the phone people get hostile towards you," one student said.
"It's so common to me I'm just immune to it now."
The racism issue surfaced at the university five years ago after racist material was distributed on campus and there was an incident in a university bar.
University of Newcastle vice-chancellor Nick Saunders said that since then, the university had established a student safety committee, was part of multicultural day in Jesmond and liaised with student leaders. It had also commissioned a study on its impact on surrounding suburbs.
Professor Saunders said intolerance was a problem at universities across Australia, not just Newcastle.
"It's absolutely despicable to see people from other countries being treated with intolerance and abuse," he said. "It's an issue which all of us need to be concerned about, largely for reasons of humanity than reasons of the [international student] market."
He said the university was trying to promote multiculturalism and the contribution of international students, and that negative incidents originated from a minority of people.
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