‘We’ve been forgotten’: Tens of thousands of Australians are stranded abroad due to the government’s tough border restrictions.

With no job, visa, or healthcare, and unable to return home, this is the grim reality faced by thousands of expats who hold the world’s ninth most powerful passport.

Though their experiences vary, one thing is clear – Australians overseas feel abandoned by their government amid the ongoing pandemic.

Two months ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison implemented a weekly cap of just under 4,000 international arrivals. This was in response to a second wave of COVID-19 triggered by a hotel quarantine security breach.

The cap has led to a flood of canceled flights and skyrocketing ticket prices, exacerbating the challenges faced by those trying to return home.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), at least 25,000 Australians, many of whom are financially and medically vulnerable, have registered to return home since July. However, the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia estimates that the actual number of stranded citizens could be as high as 100,000.

Before the pandemic, the distinct Aussie accent could be heard all over the globe, with more than a million Australians living and working abroad at any given time.

Even before the border cap was implemented, Australia had some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions. Since March, hotel quarantine has been mandatory, foreign tourists have been barred from entry, and citizens have been prohibited from leaving the country.

The Australians attempting to return now are not vacationers, but citizens who left the country before the pandemic began.

“You should have come home”

In the first three months following the closure of international borders, more than 357,000 Australian citizens made it back home, according to DFAT.

In stark contrast, the past two months have seen only around 30,000 Australian citizens allowed to return, due to the cap on international arrivals. Critics, including Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, argue that citizens should have come back earlier in the pandemic.

“If you wanted to return, you should have already done so in most cases,” said Birmingham.

Several Australians stranded overseas shared with Dinogo that although the government urged citizens to return home in March, the message was primarily directed at short-term travelers.

Those with permanent jobs, homes, and savings were advised by their consulates to remain where they were. No one could have foreseen the trajectory of the pandemic or the profound effect it would have on their lives. Now, six months later, some still have stable incomes and homes, while others have seen their lives fall apart.

For Stephen Spencer in Abu Dhabi, returning to Australia in March would have meant quitting his job, disrupting his children’s education, and abandoning their home—without any guarantees on the other side. He and his wife Kate chose to stay in Abu Dhabi for the sake of stability for their kids.

Months later, Spencer lost his job and now faces the challenge of trying to get his family home. As the sponsor for his wife and teenagers, once he cancels their visas—a requirement before departure—they will have just 30 days to leave the UAE.

“If we can’t secure a flight back to Australia, we’ll be living like refugees, with no legal right to stay in the UAE and no way to return to our home country,” he explained. “I can’t believe how quickly the Australian government abandoned its citizens abroad.”

This is a story echoed by many of those stranded abroad.

Sarah Tasneem was living in Canada when the unseen enemy caused the world to grind to a halt. With a stable job and in the midst of her permanent residency process, her life was abruptly upended when her application was canceled by the Canadian government in June, leading to job loss. Now, with dwindling funds and unable to work, she is struggling to return home.

“I fear I will eventually be deported,” Tasneem said. “I’m running out of time.”

Her embassy has suggested she tap into her retirement fund, an option made available to all Australians earlier in the year, but one she is reluctant to take.

“I feel like they’ve forgotten about us,” she said.

For some, it wasn’t stability that kept them abroad, but rather the lack of viable options to return home.

For Emily Altamirano, the flight caps are just the latest obstacle in her six-month struggle to get back home. When international borders began closing, she was visiting family in Peru.

Commercial flights from the region to Australia were halted, and she missed the opportunity to board a repatriation flight after her uncle tested positive for the coronavirus. After his recovery, she attempted to fly to Australia via the United States, but has been unable to secure a ticket due to the flight caps.

“It feels like the government has forgotten about us,” said Altamirano.

Carmelina Ciampa also feels abandoned. Late last year, she traveled with her youngest son to Italy to care for her mother, Rosa, who had been diagnosed with cancer, while her husband and eldest son remained in Australia.

Refusing to leave her mother’s side during her final days, Ciampa stayed in Italy as the pandemic unfolded. Her mother passed away last month, and Ciampa has been unable to reunite with her family due to the flight cap.

“My son suggested I try to reach Australia by boat, and I even explored the possibility of traveling by cargo ship,” Ciampa said, describing her desperation to return home.

The cost of returning home

For some, returning to Australia means saying goodbye to loved ones.

Brooke Saward, an Australian living in South Africa, once saw her Australian passport as a symbol of good fortune, like holding a four-leaf clover. But now, the coat of arms featuring a kangaroo and emu feels more like a curse.

With work opportunities fading and her visa expired, she is trying to return home from Cape Town. Her departure will mean leaving behind her South African boyfriend, with no certainty about when they will reunite.

“It came down to a decision of where I need to be, not where I want to be,” Saward explained.

“The constant uncertainty of when I can return to my family, when I can start earning again, when I can access healthcare... it’s enough to keep me awake at night, every night.”

While the emotional toll of being separated from loved ones is hard to measure, the financial cost of getting home is all too real.

With no commercial flights available, she attempted to book a chartered flight, only to have it denied by the Australian government. The reason: too many citizens were trying to return from South Africa.

Running out of options, Saward considered flying to New Zealand and then chartering a private jet to Australia. While the Australian government approved this route, New Zealand, with its own strict travel rules, refused her transit visa.

This is just one of many situations that have led stranded Australians to feel that the wealthier are being given priority over the more vulnerable citizens.

Since the pandemic began, Qatar Airways has taken the lead in repatriating Australians, after Australia’s national carrier, Qantas, suspended all international flights.

Last week, Qatar Airways urged the Australian government to raise the arrival caps, stating that it is financially unsustainable for the airline to operate flights that are almost 90% empty.

“Too little, too late,”

With the caps currently set to remain until October 24, Prime Minister Morrison has admitted the need for an increase but has not outlined a plan. Health Minister Greg Hunt stated on Sunday that he wants to “ensure that every Australian who wants to return home is back by Christmas.” This is a promise that many stranded citizens see as too little, too late.

Carol Thompson says her family is devastated after months of trying to bring her 21-year-old son, who is now struggling with severe depression, back from the United Kingdom.

“I’m desperate for my son to return home,” she said.

Saward echoed Thompson’s concerns, saying, “Living through a global pandemic is already a mental health challenge, let alone being stranded in a foreign country.”

Meanwhile, a growing backlog of flights has created a long wait for expats like Carol Schenk.

“I’ve heard of flights out of Dubai already being canceled for January,” said Schenk, who is currently stranded in Oman. “It makes it feel like there’s little to no chance of us getting home anytime soon.”

Dinogo has reached out to Prime Minister Morrison and other government officials for comment. However, they had not responded by the time of publication.