There are approximately 26,000 Australian citizens or people with residency rights wanting to return to Australia. This is despite the government tell all overseas citizens and residents to return back in March. Moreover the government told citizens in Australia not to travel overseas.
The media is full of stories from overseas citizens and residents attempting to return and being unable to due to the lack of flights, the cost and a cap in Australia on the number able to be accepted due to limited quarantine accommodation.
Who are these people? It seems to me they likely fall into one of the following categories
- Citizen or resident normally permanently residing overseas. Like us when we were on nb Waiouru.
- People who left Australia after the government told them not to go.
- People on an extended holiday visa (eg, young people doing their OE)
- Dual citizens
- Other
I can imagine there will be many young people who went on their OE (working holiday) and when the virus hit decided they didn’t want to cut short their experience and return early. Now the employment has dried up and they have run out of money.
Many overseas dual citizens draw an Australian government pension which goes much further in their country of residence (Greece, Turkey, India, Cambodia, etc). However after six months overseas the government pension ceases. They are likely to be running out of money.
It’s therefore likely the majority of these affected citizens or residents cannot afford the high cost of return airfares. This is certainly what they are saying in the media.
This clamber to return asap via the media has resulted in the government arranging to open more quarantine capacity in Darwin along with announcing there will be additional charter flights arranged by the government.
The cost of a one way ticket from London will be $2000 per person and from India approximately $1000. Two weeks quarantine will cost $3000.
The government has stated returnees will have to pay their own airfares and the cost of two weeks quarantine. How will these people pay when so many of them are claiming they can’t afford the airfares?
The answer is in the fine print on the federal government website.
Overseas financial assistance
If you’ve been unable to return to Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions and are experiencing financial distress, you may be eligible for interest-free loans to cover living costs while you wait for a flight to return to Australia and/or to help cover the costs of the flight. Find out more on the COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance page.
And with respect to the cost of quarantine
Financial hardship
You may be eligible for a fee waiver under the grounds of financial hardship. You must be an Australian citizen or a Permanent resident to apply for this waiver. Eligibility is assessed against criteria including, but not exclusive to: An individual being unable to meet current financial obligations (e.g. home loan, immediate living expenses), including due to the quarantine period itself. Unemployment or on Jobkeeper/Jobseeker or another relevant Centrelink service or an Australian studying overseas Loss of a business entity, home or possessions due to COVID 19 or a natural disaster.
It appears to me anyone return from overseas will be eligible to claim financial hardship and not pay any up front cost for flights and quarantine. Moreover I suspect the government won’t pursue the matter and will ‘write-off’ the debt. In my opinion this is rewarding poor behaviour and contribute to it increasing in the future. Furthermore, it is the ‘responsible’ tax payer who pays the cost.
To a lighter subject
The video below shows an Australian woman who obviously isn’t frightened of spiders.
file size approx 19.2MB
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