Leading human rights campaigners believe racial hatred is a key factor in attacks on Newcastle's international students.

More than 20 overseas students have been targeted this year in Newcastle, in the New South Wales Hunter, and dozens more have been attacked in Melbourne and Sydney.

The issue was brought up at this week's race relations roundtable involving Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes and other leading human rights advocates.

It has been claimed Newcastle students have been attacked because they are soft targets, but Mr Innes is not so sure.

"Well there have been numerous statements that the violence in Newcastle, Sydney and in Melbourne has been opportunistic and the commissioners are certainly of the view that we we need to recognise the element of race hate or race discrimination in these issues," he said.