Alan Tudge addresses partner visa changes, plight of temporary visa holders and Australians stuck in India

In an exclusive interview with SBS Punjabi, Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has said that unless more quarantine spaces are made available, Australian citizens, temporary migrants and international students stuck overseas due to COVID-19 pandemic won't be able to return to Australia. And he rejects that the introduction of an English language test for partner visa applicants is 'racist', 'discriminatory', or a new version of the White Australia policy.

Australia aumentará su límite de pasajeros que llegan del exterior el próximo mes Source: Getty Images

Love, employment and the fate of thousands of temporary visa holders stuck outside Australia are in limbo, as the federal government remains reluctant to commit to a timeline indicating the lifting of the country’s hard international border restrictions serving as the key bulwark against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with SBS Punjabi, Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said two things would need to change for Australia to reopen its international borders – the availability of a COVID- 19 vaccine and an agreement from states and territories to increase their quarantine capacity which currently allows up to 6,000 people to fly back into the country each week.