Australians stranded overseas 'betrayed' by Government says a man who finally made it home

Colin Hargreaves burst into tears at the Cathay Pacific desk at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam when staff gave him his boarding pass on September 3.Colin Hargreaves and his wife were house-sitting in France when coronavirus travel restrictions were introducedHe is angry at the treatment of Australians stranded overseas and wants the Government to improve its response

For months Mr Hargreaves had been seriously ill, basically homeless, and stranded in a nightmare — unable to return to his home in Berry on the New South Wales South Coast.As concern around the pandemic spread in February his wife returned home, but he felt obliged to stay a few more weeks to honour his commitment.At the end of the month he suffered a serious fall, cracking his skull twice and losing a chunk off the end of his nose.

The car Colin Hargreaves was living in for months in France while waiting for a flight back to Australia. "Honestly, you just can't realise how difficult it is being there and you get this email suddenly saying 'sorry mate, you are not going home'. It is just so stressful," he said.Flights cancelled, no refunds provided

They had many chances to come back . Why didn't they when they could?

I believe it was March when the PM told all Australians to head home ... For those who decided to ignore ... They blame the government?! You are seriously delusional...

Has the ABC taken the time to ask State Premiers why they won’t increase the number of returning travelers? Queensland only have a couple of hundred returning travelers in quarantine- far far below the number Anastasia daily states Queensland will take..why. Ask the QUESTIONS ABC

His own fault

Stranded? Just not paying emirates £6,186 as well as the $3k to isolate on return.

By all means bring Australians back safely for us and them, but if you go overseas now, you may have to stay there until this crisis is over. Same with movement interstate except for essential travel.

There were so many contradictions in this article it was hard to read. I couldn’t see where the govt was responsible for the string of events. He can also apply for quarantine support based on financial situation but it doesn’t mention that. Articles are better with facts ABC.

The comments under this Article make me think he's better off not going back to a country with such uncompassionate people. You are all disgusting!

He was actually betrayed also by the people who kicked him out of the house he was looking after while it suited them. He stayed out of a sense of responsibility. The poor chap. 🌷

Surprised they did not fly to Bali I am confident there many boats ready to bring them to Australia (well experienced) going at cheap rates.

I’m not sure why people would want to come back to a country that treats them so badly.

They had plenty of warning. Besides, it’s never been the governments duty to assist Australians in getting home. You travel, you take on that risk.

It was your choice to go overseas mate...now put up with thee consequences...

Had pleeeeeeeenty of time to get home before the lockdown mate 👍🏻

I've been seeing so many of these articles, but I have not yet come across a response from the govt. Not here to play the blame game, cos I came home when I heard of borders closing, but I'm genuinely interested in what the response would be.

The last thing the Aust Govt wanted was for 1mill expats to come home all at once in Feb-March. The system would have collapsed and keeping us since then would have cost billions At no time were we told - get Home NOW. We were told to stay if we could.

I have little sympathy for people wanting to come home now and struggling. They have had months to get organised. If the Fed's didn't waste money on their sports rorts they could have paid for everyone wanting to get back.

Naturally it’s the government’s fault should have got on the same plane as your wife . Lookup the meaning of pandemic your obligations would have gone out the window but summer in France 🇫🇷 well !

I’m so glad he finally made it home & hope he can be reunited with family soon. Ppl who haven’t been expats this year have no idea of the conflicting info we were receiving from Aust govt and the less than ideal actions of airlines.

Why you whinging your home you got hospital help and the amount of australians that have left this earth with being diagnosed with covid ant thd people that were oh and i must say for both is still ongoing wake up your alive.

If less planes were coming in - each could be carrying more passengers which reduces costs 100+ planes coming in each week with 30 or 40 passengers. It is crazy.

Shouldn’t feel left out, we’ve all been betrayed.

So many similar stories only coming out now.. what is govt thinking? Do they have any accountability towards their own people after 6 months? If this is not betrayal then what is it? Celebrities can fly in/out but not for average Joe.. StrandedAussies IStillCallAustraliaHome

Another anti LNP article from the ABC

Get an international student visa, ship yourself as a pet, become a lord, buy 1st class australiancitizenfastestways2getback2oz

How long are governments going to continue condoning this covid idiocy by unnecessarily f**king up people's lives and destroying societies for NOTHING! Almost 3 quarters of 2020 has passed yet the covid stupidity continues!

Oz govt when I told them we'd been charged three times on our credit card after being shunted by QANTARSE even though tickets would be honoured: Why don't you borrow some money off your friends?

I am sure ABC News this person gave Morrison a tick for his Approval rateing....not.

our quarantine capacity is limited 800 each week in Syd n Brissie is too many They went willy nilly to Europe where pandemic is rampaging

Then point the blame directly to the State premiers not pulling their weight & Dictator Dan for the stuff up in Victoria. NSW has been the leader for returned travelers for too long, while QLD & WA continue to play politics

' he felt obliged to stay a few more weeks to honour his commitment' Which kind of backfired really.

Disgusting, poor man.

Fail to see where the government is at fault here.

He was warned on.numerous occasions to come home in January Cant he read?

Unlike many other countries, AUS did not have its military assets bringing its citizens home. Charging for an enforced stay in what for many is sub-standard accomodation will undoubted lead to claims for reimbursement.

All Australians stuck overseas should be brought home now!! It’s disgraceful

what bull by a leftie

We only take care of those who can attend the auctions.

he chose to stay. now it's the government's fault?

Morrison applied the same treatment he gave out to the bushfire victims Nothing to see here

Mixed feelings on this. I do think the government should be doing more to help people get home but on the other hand he should have left the same time his wife did. Saying that, very unlucky with the accident

The poor chap did have a string of rotten bad luck but it's a bit rich to put all the blame on the govt. Australia announced travel restrictions at the end of Jan so border closures had been on the cards since then. Hopefully from now on he'll trust his wife's instincts.

'As concern around the pandemic spread in February his wife returned home, but he felt obliged to stay a few more weeks to honour his commitment.' Who's fault is it?

Taxpayers aren't responsible because he wanted to honour a commitment. Too bad. So sad.

It is not good enough that the Government is not facilitating citizens returning to Australia. This is not the Liberal way. auspol

He chose to stay behind for a few more weeks to keep a promise of house sitting for a friend? I probably wouldn’t do it back then for a virus we knew little about at the time.

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