Coronavirus: families grounded and a long way from home

Suzanne Stekic and her daughters are among countless Australians stuck overseas, struggling to return.

Suzanne Stekic and her daughters Eden, 12, and Madison, 14, are stuck in Croatia, having been unable to secure tickets to get back to Australia during the COVID-19 crisis; and below, a near-empty plane taking home passengers lucky enough to have scored a ticket.

Suzanne Stekic, 44, was in the final year of her law degree, excited to have landed a volunteer position assisting refugees abroad.

She left Australia on January 27, headed for Greece to work with Advocates Abroad, assisting refugees as they fled Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan for Turkey.

Stekic had her two children, daughters Eden, 12, and Madison, 14. They were going to make an adventure of it, staying away for several months, basing themselves mainly in Greece.

Her husband, Kristian, a miner working on a fly-in, fly-out basis, would join them after six weeks.

Now they are among countless Australians stuck overseas, struggling to return because the federal government has placed severe limits on the number of airline passengers allowed to return. Brisbane airport permits just 70 passengers a day, as does Perth. Sydney is taking 350, while Melbourne and Hobart are taking none. This means planes with as few as 30 passengers on board.

Many seats remain empty on flights back to Australia.

Airlines are naturally giving preference to business class, as they try to at least break-even, leaving economy passengers stuck abroad while the well-heeled wing home.

“Both my girls have had birthdays since we’ve been stuck here,” Stekic says. “My youngest has had to have surgery here. I have not seen my husband for five months.’

There has been criticism by the government and fellow Australians of those still stuck overseas. Why haven’t they made it home? In many cases, because they haven’t managed to nab one of the flights or afford the tickets.  “Our intention was to stay in Greece for an extended period but then when COVID happened, and by the time it got to the point where people were being told you have to give up whatever you were doing, you have to come home, passengers were already finding it hard to get tickets,” ­Stekic says.

‘There were people getting halfway home, and then finding themselves stranded.

“My daughter is diabetic. We called the Australian embassy and they said, given the situation don’t leave. If you’ve got the funds, stay put and see if you can wait it out.”

They could not wait it out in Greece, so headed to Croatia, where Stekic had family she had met just once before. Eden ­became sick and needed surgery in Croatia to remove cysts. She has since had a second surgery.

‘There’s been so much stress,” Stekic says. “We are staying positive. This is a beautiful country, but we want to come home.”

Her husband of 15 years ­applied three times to join the family, who normally live outside the Gold Coast. He was refused each time, since outbound travel from Australia is banned except in exceptional circumstances.

“His application was ignored more months, then we were told, no, he poses a threat to Australia, coming in and out,” Stekic says.

She began searching for flights to get out, and got three economy class tickets, but was bumped off the plane when its 30-person cap was reached.

“We were moved to another flight, and I think that’s about to be cancelled,” she says. “I’m constantly looking online and I can see the flight is cancelled on the second leg, Doha to Brisbane. From my understanding if they let you on the full leg, you will get the full way but it’s nerve-racking.

“I have seen photos taken from people who did get back, with business-class people taking up seats, and economy practically empty.”