stranded overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 24,000 on the list. Despite tens of thousands of international arrivals in the intervening months, the tally of stranded Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is now nearly 40,000.
There’s a simple economic reason – demand is outstripping the artificially low supply. Stranded Australians are competing with each other and other travellers for scarce flights, which are being allocated according to who can pay the most rather than by need. If we want to solve this problem, it cannot be left to market forces.
DFAT estimates there were one million Australians living abroad before the pandemic. Even if everyone had heeded the call to hop on a flight and come home, they couldn’t have all returned at once. Many stranded Australians have been trying to get home for the best part of a year, because airlines are bouncing economy passengers off flights in favour of business or first class fares. They mostly don’t refund but instead offer credit, locking in passengers even if they have no reasonable prospect of flying any time soon.Australia’s borders are closed, with caps on international arrivals and restrictions on outbound travel.
niltiac By the way the World Surf League is allowing Hawaiian, Californian, Brazilian surfers to Oz in March. And I can’t even get a visa to visit our daughter even though I’m more than willing to quarantine.
niltiac Agreed. Or if you are pro athletes! How can you allow sporting events and not allow your citizens to come home.
niltiac Yes! There needs to be viable, long term quarantine options implemented. ScottMorrisonMP how long are you planning to fail strandedAussies, InternationalStudentsAustralia or keep partnersapart from reuniting? We have already been waiting 12 months. It is time to move forward!
niltiac The Feds & State needs to stop pointing the finger at each other and work together to increase quarantine capacity It is the right of citizenship return. Without it what’s the point of citizenship? RemoveTheCaps strandedaussies auspol Australia partnersapart Exempt300
niltiac They need to expand travel exemptions criteria
niltiac 💯this! It’s insane that over 12 months into this and we haven’t bothered to put the resources into hotel quarantine to allow everyone to come home. ScottMorrisonMP is abdicating responsibility and selling it as leadership. auspol scottyfromarketing
niltiac Most of these so called stranded Aussies left during the pandemic knowing very well that their returned to Australia wasn’t imminent True there are some people who lost their jobs or need to come home for treatment, but they are a minority & are getting priority treatment
niltiac Yes they are. And when you think that the US military is flying 1000s of US troops into the NT exactly at this time, by-passing our strict quota system while ten of thousands of Australians are stranded overseas, its doubley outragous. One rule for them. One for us..
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