Highlights
- Australia to retain caps on international arrivals at 4,000 per week
- Right now it is not wise to lift caps on returning travellers: Prime Minister Scott Morrison
- Most Australian citizens and residents stranded offshore are stuck in India
Announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting today, Mr Morrison said “right now it is not wise to lift those caps” on people returning from overseas.
“I want to stress that 4,000 Australians are still returning every single week ad we have got tens of thousands of people who have been going through quarantine as well from overseas,” he said.
The prime minister added that “on the balance of risk,” it has been agreed that the caps will be retained in their current form and will be reviewed again in a fortnight from now.
“Our consular teams are doing a great job to help them (Australians) in those circumstances and we will be doing more to help them in those circumstances and to assist them to get home within those caps. But we will be reviewing those caps every fortnight as we will review them again in a fortnight from now,” he added.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2020 Virtual Leaders Summit between Australia and India Source: AAP
'We have been cut loose by our government'
The decision to retain the caps has aggravated the concerns of more than 18,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents who continue to remain offshore and are finding it “invariably hard” to return home amid stringent restrictions on the number of overseas arrivals and limited flight operations.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, most of them are stranded in India ever since the borders were snapped shut in March in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Bhumika Bhatt with her family Source: Supplied
One of them is Brisbane-based Australian resident, Bhumika Bhatt who is trapped in central India along with her one-year-old son and has since been unable to secure a return flight despite numerous attempts.
Frustrated over the government's decision to keep the caps, the 34-year-old said she feels like the Australian government has "cut them loose."
“I have been trying to book our tickets since March. But until mid-July, I still had hope that we'd be able to return this year, but the caps on international arrivals has made it rather impossible,” said the new mum who hasn’t seen her husband since January this year.
She added that what’s angered her beyond measure is the South Australian government’s recent decision to bring back international students ahead of their own citizens and residents.
“The government’s priorities are quite clear, and their interests obviously vest in the revenue that the overseas students would bring into the country. They need to show some compassion to their own people before bringing in foreign students,” said Ms Bhatt.
In response to SBS Punjabi's query concerning flights between India and Australia, a DFAT spokesperson last week said that the Australian diplomatic missions are in close contact with registered Australians who remain in India and are providing consular assistance as required, as well as travel information and advice via a number of channels.
“We understand that the current situation may create further frustrations and stress for Australians seeking to return during an already difficult time. The Australian Government continues to explore options to support Australians to access flights on a commercial basis,” said the spokesperson.
But Melbourne man Lakhpreet Singh who remains stranded in the north Indian state of Punjab along with his wife and two children said the Australian High Commission (AHC) needs to step up for its people in India especially with matters relating to booking flight tickets.
Lakhpreet Singh with his family. Source: Supplied
“Right now, Air India is our only option and it’s nearly impossible to book tickets through their portals or registered travel agents. We believe it would be best if AHC could intervene and draw a shortlist of people who are in dire straits so they can return home at the earliest,” said the 38-year-old.
Current caps on international arrivals:
Earlier this month, the national cabinet had decided to retain the caps on inbound overseas travellers until at least October 24. The government had also decided to retain the suspension of international flights into Melbourne to ease pressure on resources in Victoria.
The following caps will continue to apply subject to further advice on quarantine capacity in other jurisdictions:
- Sydney – limit of 350 passenger arrivals per day
- Perth – limit of 525 passenger arrivals per week
- Brisbane – limit of 500 passenger arrivals per week
- Adelaide – limit of 500 passenger arrivals per week
- Canberra, Darwin – passenger limits on each flight to be discussed with jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis
- Hobart – no international flights
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
