The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will make available a hardship program to extend financial assistance to Australian citizens in duress due to their inability to return home.
Those considered vulnerable will be given one-off interest-free loan payments to cover living costs or airfare for a return flight to Australia.
Highlights:
- Interest-free loan payments for Australian citizens stranded overseas as a "last resort"
- Applicants will have to meet strict eligibility criteria to access a loan
- Permanent residents are not eligible for payments under this Hardship Package
- Australians stuck in India say "it should not have been a loan"
Announcing the hardship package, Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said these payments are an addition to the existing Traveller Emergency Loans Program available to vulnerable Australians stranded overseas and will be available as a "last resort."
“The loans are intended to cover temporary accommodation and daily living expenses until they can return. Loans may also be available to help vulnerable Australians purchase tickets for commercial flights,” Ms Payne said in a press release.
Who is eligible?
Foreign Minister Marise Payne Source: AAP
Applicants will have to meet strict eligibility criteria to access a loan, and only the most vulnerable Australian citizens still stranded overseas will be provided financial assistance.
And as the name suggests, successful applicants who will receive these payments will have to repay them upon their return to Australia.
‘Why loan? It should have been a payment’
As per the latest numbers revealed by DFAT, close to 23,000 Australians are stranded abroad, up from the 18,000 figure that was released two weeks ago, according to which a majority are trapped in India.
Among those is Brisbane-based single mum Chetna Gill who remains stranded in the north Indian state of Punjab along with her two sons, ever since the borders were snapped shut in March.
Chetna Gill with her sons. Source: Supplied
Having spent thousands of dollars on return tickets, Ms Gill who has recently lost her job says while it is a step in the right direction for those who need money to buy tickets, it is, however “useless for most.”
“I have lost my job and I’ve had to already borrow money to provide for my family while we are stuck here. In these circumstances, where people have lost their jobs and salaries and have no access to payments like the Jobkeeper or the JobSeeker for months due to government’s own decisions, then this clearly should have been a payment and not a loan that we have to repay upon our return,” she said.
'Remove the cap'
Adding to the narrative, Lakhpreet Singh who is also stuck in India along with his wife and two young children said he would have been happier if the government had removed the "stringent limit on international arrivals instead."
Ms Gill says the inability to return has put her in enormous financial debt and she is in no position to undertake another loan.
"With the way things are moving, I have totally lost hope of returning home. I have been trying to book a return ticket since March, but haven't had any luck so far. The only news that can alleviate my hardship at this point is if the government would announce some relaxation on caps," he said.
Permanent residents feel “left-out”
The eligibility criteria also outline that only Australian citizens will be eligible to receive these emergency payments, leaving out hundreds of permanent residents who can only access these loans under the following circumstances:
- If they are travelling with an immediate family member who is a citizen, and that family member includes the resident in their own application for financial assistance.
- If the only Australian citizen in the family travelling with the resident is a child, other links to Australia will need to be considered before approval.
Unhappy with the criteria, Saurabh Jolly who is stuck near India’s capital New Delhi along with his wife and daughter said it leaves the likes of him and his family “at a loss”.
Saurabh Jolly with his family. Source: Supplied
“This differentiation is unfair and upsetting. How can permanent residents be any different from vulnerable citizens? Even we can’t earn a living while stranded overseas. Aren’t we making a contribution to the Australian economy? How are we supposed to survive?” he questioned.
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