Highlights
- MPs call for an increase in the number of overseas arrivals
- Time to establish a national standard quarantine program: Senator Bridget McKenzie
- Senator Nick McKim: Have received more than 100 requests for help
Thousands of Australians, permanent residents and temporary visa holders stranded overseas have reached out to their local MPs, seeking their help to return to Australia.
Prompted by these desperate calls, many Members of Parliament have called on the government to increase the number of overseas arrivals.
Greens Senator Nick McKim told SBS Hindi his office had received over 100 requests from those stranded overseas.
“We are being contacted every day by people who are desperate to come home and to be reunited with their families.
“It is totally unfair. Many people have been separated from their families, homes and jobs for over five months which has had a significant impact on their health and that of their families.”
Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents on March 20, 2020. While Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members can return, temporary visa holders who want to travel to Australia need to seek an exemption from current travel restrictions.
Both groups though are finding it difficult to return.
For citizens and permanent residents, the cap on the number of overseas arrivals is making it expensive and difficult to return while temporary visa-holders are finding it difficult to secure an exemption required to travel to Australia.
In July, Prime Minister Scott Morrison reduced the number of overseas arrivals from 6500 to 4000 per week, following a second wave of COVID-19 infections in Victoria and amid concerns raised by other states about executing the hotel quarantine program.
The answer to the problem is not restricting the number of arrivals but to build a robust national quarantine program, the Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has said.
Concerned about the lack of availability of international workers in Agriculture, the Coalition MP said it was time to increase ‘quarantine capacity’ to bring in international arrivals safely.
“It is up to State Governments to increase their quarantine capacity in a safe manner, and at the moment they are not all up to it as evidenced in Victoria,” Senator McKenzie told SBS Hindi.
“At the moment every State Government has a different regime, I'd like to see a national standard approach to inbound quarantine with stringent checks and equivalent processing systems that will give us all confidence as we learn to live with the virus. Only with a harmonised approach can we hope to deal with issues of international arrivals in a safe manner,” she said.
Her colleague in the Coalition government, Liberal MP Andrew Laming from Queensland too called for a review of the current quarantine arrangements.
"The new normal is putting up quarantine for literally thousands of people a week and while our hotels are doing absolutely no tourism trade, they should be absolutely full with quarantine trade," he told the .
He also advocated for temporary residents stranded abroad, citing an example of a family of temporary skilled visa holders where the father was in his electorate but his family was stuck abroad.
“Why can't his wife and kids just do 14 days of sensible quarantine? It's been six months with not even a glimmer of hope," Mr Laming said.
The plight of those stranded abroad was also raised by Senator McKim during the public hearing of the Select Committee on COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Senator McKim told the Committee and the ABF Commissioner how an Indian family – with mother in Melbourne and father and child in India – had recently sought travel exemption on compassionate grounds but were rejected.
To this, the ABF Commissioner said he will review the administrative guidance set out for assessing such applications.
“I will review guidelines in relation to families,” Commissioner Outram told the Select Committee on COVID-19.
While ABF Commissioner has committed to reviewing the guidelines to assess travel exemption requests, the government has made it clear the restrictions are here to stay.
The government has reduced the number because it wants to stay on top of this pandemic, the Acting Minister of Immigration, Mr Tudge has said.
“I appreciate that's difficult for those people, and we've got other people who have a loved one overseas who want to get them to Australia as well.
“Everybody has been impacted by this, but at the moment, we've got very strict numbers of people who are coming in through the borders.
“In fact, we've reduced that number just to ensure we stay on top of this pandemic. So, when we can open up that situation I don't know,” he told SBS Hindi.
Metropolitan Melbourne residents are subject to Stage 4 restrictions and must comply with a curfew between the hours of 8 pm and 5 am.
The only reasons for Melbourne residents to leave home during these hours are for exercise, to shop for necessary goods and services, for work, for health care, or to care for a sick or elderly relative.
All Victorians must wear a face covering when they leave home, no matter where they live.
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.
