The reopening of Australia's borders to international students after the pandemic has triggered an exodus from Bhutan, as young people seek opportunities abroad amid growing economic unhappiness in the landlocked Himalayan kingdom.
Student migration to Australia from Bhutan has soared, with over 12,000 long-term arrivals moving there in the 11 months to May alone, representing about 1.5% of the tiny South Asian country's population, which has a youth unemployment rate in the double digits.
Most of the recent arrivals have settled in Perth, Western Australia, where they have enrolled in courses such as child care, hospitality and accounting.