Highlights
- Victoria preparing to resume international flights
- Australian citizens and permanent residents will be prioritised; international students will have to wait
- 150 additional places made available in Queensland
The prime minister shared some significant updates about vulnerable Australians stuck overseas, international flight resumption in Victoria, return of international students and increase in quarantine places on Friday.
PM Morrison said Australia was working hard to get more than 25,000 citizens back home.
Listen to what the Prime Minister said:
150 additional places for returning Australians in Queensland
To enable more Australians to return, the cap on Australians returning from overseas will be increased by 150 additional places per day in Queensland, PM Morrison announced.
The limits will also now be measured over a week-period, instead of a daily cap, in order to increase flexibility.
"By doing them over a week we can get greater utilisation of the caps, which will increase our ability to get more Australians home, and wherever possible, we are looking for additional capacity," Mr Morrison said.
"There is a queue, and Australians are at the front of the queue."
Victoria preparing to resume international flights
PM Morrison said plans are also underway to resume international flights in Melbourne Victoria.
“Wherever possible, we are looking for additional capacity," he said.
“I will be meeting with the Victorian Premier when I go to Melbourne next week. And there will be an opportunity for us to talk about that, I know that they are progressing on those issues, and he gave us a bit of an update on those this morning, but they are not in a position to make that announcement yet.
“But that’s because they are preparing to be able to do it and we welcome that from Victoria.
“And when Victoria opens up to receive those flights, again that will help us get many more Australians back,” he said.
'Australians first', International students will have to wait
PM Morrison said all efforts were concentrated on bringing home "Australians first" and that the international students will have to wait.
"The challenges we have in getting Australians home means the ability to move and take international students back at this time through quarantine arrangements does not present itself," Mr Morrison said.
"It's Australians coming home first. That is the Commonwealth policy, that is our policy, and that is the policy that is also being followed by the National Cabinet.
"We need to use every available space that we have in quarantine, and it is not simply a matter of are there rooms in the hotels to do it, there is also the police, the support that is needed to properly run quarantine and the health support that is needed in addition to that.
"So it is a function of all of these, and the quarantine system has been working effectively and we want it to keep working effectively.
"What we are seeing around the world, which Professor (Paul) Kelly will speak to, is heartbreaking.
"I had another meeting with European leaders this week, a group I have been meeting with for many, many months. This situation there is very serious, as it is in the United States.
"That means here in Australia we need to continue to be careful, and we will be. So sadly, that will delay any ability to bring in international students to Australia soon, because we must use every available place to get Australians home."
'Prime Minister needs to generously lift the caps'
In spite of an increase in the number of quarantine places made available by Northern Territory, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, those stranded abroad say these small measures are insufficient and not helpful.
Samrat Chandra moved to Sydney in January this year from India. His wife and son who were to join him in March haven’t been able to due to border closures and caps on international arrivals.
Samrat Chandra with his family in Sydney Source: Supplied by Samrat Chandra
“To be honest, this has completely drained us – physically, mentally and financially,” Mr Chandra told SBS Hindi.
“We have tried to secure two tickets for months now but due to caps, we haven’t been able to.”
“My wife and son are vulnerable and alone and all I want is for them to join me in Sydney. It has been more than eight months now.”
“These 100-200 increase in quarantine places will not help. There are thousands of us waiting to come to Australia. The prime minister needs to generously lift the caps – by thousand at least to allow us all to come back to Australia,” Mr Chandra said.
He said these announcements gave him little hope to reunite with his family before Christmas.
“I don’t know how is that going to be possible. It is already mid-November. I hope he makes some generous announcement soon,” he said.
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