Coronavirus: Stranded Australians deride ‘ridiculous’ last resort loans

Furious expats say the new assistance measures would load them with further debt over a situation caused by Canberra.

Flights into Australia have been restricted since July. Picture: Brendan Radke

Angry stranded Australians have derided the federal government’s new assistance measures, claiming that offers of means tested interest free loans were “ridiculous’’ and akin to “putting a bandaid on a bullet-wound’’.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced on Wednesday that Australians trapped overseas by the COVID crisis would be able to get access to new government loans to buy airline tickets and cover their living costs while they wait for flights.

But hundreds of Australians have furiously responded on the Australian High Commission’s social media pages saying the new Hardship Fund was disingenuous and would load already struggling Australians with further debt which has been directly caused by decisions made in Canberra.

Federal government caps on the numbers of incoming Australians has resulted in thousands of people bumped off flights at the last moment, leaving many without work or places to live and no immediate prospect of an airline set.

Ms Payne said the hardship fund would support vulnerable Australians with one-off loans for either emergency living costs until a commercial flight became available or a loan to help cover the costs of a flight back to Australia.

But the loans are only available as a last resort and available only if people can confirm they cannot get funds from an insurance company, a bank or credit card company, a travel agent, family and friends, an employer, local social security or an overseas pension.

Yet at the moment there are more than 2000 of the 23,000 Australians stranded in the UK with no prospect of an economy flight until next year, and expensive business class flights also being bumped under the Australian government’s cap limits. Airlines have stopped selling any class of ticket until mid November when it is hoped the government will make clear its longer term intentions of quarantine and flight caps.

As stranded Aussie Gillian Makhapila pointed out: “What’s the point of a one off loan (ie more debt) for a ticket when a lot of us have already got tickets, and all the flights are being cancelled anyway? And if you do qualify, AU$2000 living expenses in London, how long’s that’s supposed to last? That’s a joke right?’’

Kathy Tate noted that Ms Payne “keeps banging on about the caps are there to keep people safe’’ but priorities the AFL and cricket team??? Where is the sense in this?’’ She reflected much anger about how Dannii Minogue and Nicole Kidman were allowed home quarantine, and the Australian cricket given an exemption to tour England, adding: “Why do celebrities and football teams have different treatment?”

Jess Protoduari even appealed to High Commissioner George Brandis to “open your eyes and start advocating for us.’’ She said: “You live in the UK, arguably you understand that a loan this small living in London will be gone in less than a month. I have been trying to get home for four months, tell me how this is supposed to help me or any displaced Aussies? We are citizens, we will come home eventually and we will share our stories of being abandoned by our government and vote accordingly. Lift the caps. Organise repatriation flights. Do not get us in more debt, get us home.’’

Stranded Aussies offered ‘last resort’ loans

Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced the new “last resort” loans on Wednesday as her department confirmed there were now 23,000 Australians stuck overseas who wanted to come home.

“Applicants will have to meet strict eligibility criteria to access a loan, and only the most vulnerable Australian citizens still overseas will be provided financial assistance,” she said.

“All loans must be repaid upon return to Australia.”

The loans will be available to purchase seats on flights to Australia – including business class tickets if necessary – and pay living expenses of $2000 for an individual and up to $5000 for a family of four.

Since July, airlines flying into Australian cities have restricted passenger numbers to 30 a flight, and have been routinely bumping economy and premium economy passengers – sometimes more than 10 times – to give priority to those with higher priced tickets.

The cancellations have also begun to affect business class because of the huge backlog, forcing some travellers to pay more than $10,000 for a one-way first class seat.

A parliamentary committee heard the number of Australian now trying to get home from overseas has risen by 5000, up from 18,000, in the past three weeks.

About 3450 of those currently unable to get home are considered to be medically or financially “vulnerable”.

Many Australian travellers have had their return plans thrown into chaos by the federal government’s international passenger arrival caps.

“While critical to the integrity of Australia’s quarantine system and the safety of the whole Australian community, the caps have restricted the availability of flights home for Australians overseas,” Senator Payne said.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the announcement was “an attempt to get a headline without actually helping people”.

“The 23,000 Australians stranded overseas need more than empty announcements — they need a plan to get home,” Senator Wong said.

“It’s almost eight weeks since Scott Morrison rushed to make an announcement on caps for incoming passengers with no plan for what would happen next.”

She said Labor would continue to push for an increase in quarantine capacity to allow more Australians to fly home.

Application forms for the loans are available on the government’s Smartraveller website.

The bottleneck is most pronounced in the Middle East hubs, as Australians from all over Europe try to get home through Dubai and Qatar,

Some business passengers who have been bumped off flights have been told the earliest they could get home is in three months time.