Foreigners almost a third of pandemic arrivals

Foreign nationals have made up almost one-third of international arrivals since the quarantine regime was set up.

A passenger arrives from overseas at Sydney International airport this month. Picture: Jenny Evans

Foreign nationals have made up almost one-third of Australia’s international arrivals since March last year, with more than 73,000 citizens of other countries and transit visa holders arriving since the hotel quarantine regime was introduced.

Australian Border Force data shows more than 253,000 citizens, residents and visa holders have travelled to Australia by air and sea since the hotel quarantine system was set up on March 28.

In total, more than 461,000 Australians have returned home since Scott Morrison first urged them to come back on March 13 and 41,000 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are still waiting to return home from overseas.

The Australian can also reveal Labor states have raised concerns that some foreign arrivals are not being properly vetted, as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Monday hit back at Victorian leader Daniel Andrews’ criticism of the national hotel quarantine system.

The ABF figures show NSW continued to carry the burden of international arrivals since March 28, taking in nearly the same number as all other states and territories combined. Victoria had 35,666 international arrivals compared with NSW at almost 125,000.

Ms Berejiklian on Monday said her government would continue helping Australians “return home from overseas”.

 

“We have operated a robust hotel quarantine system for nearly a year, with more than 130,000 people passing through our system,” Ms Berejiklian said. “It doesn’t matter where you have the quarantine system. The risk is always there.”

The Australian understands the Department of Home Affairs has launched a process designed to upscale border-screening processes ahead of the vaccine rollout. The upgrades are focused on digitised visa and visitor arrival processing and enhanced medical health checks by doctors both onshore and offshore.

Screening measures are being tightened to support a gradual ­reopening of international borders, potentially as early as the final quarter of the year, and ensure Australia can launch green lanes with nations that have suppressed the virus and implemented vaccine programs.

The ABF said the large numbers of foreign nationals arriving in Australia included immediate family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents. Other travellers arriving into the country included people on special category, visitor, skills, partner and transit visas.

The Australian understands Queensland and Victoria have expressed concern about the vetting of international arrivals and prosecuted their case through the national cabinet and Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. The states have raised suspicions that some people may have qualified as residents for repatriation or business exemptions with false claims, and have called on the federal government to provide assurances this wasn’t the case.

“There is a huge issue that a number of premiers are raising about returning Australians, and who are they?” a senior Queensland government source said.

“Some don’t even have registered addresses; some have dubious qualifications. Who are they letting in?”

Senior Morrison government sources rubbished the claims and described border screening measures as rigorous. Individual assessments of each arrival were made by the office of Border Force Commission Michael Outram and that it was not a “tick-and-flick process”.

Mr Frydenberg said on Monday national cabinet had agreed “we need to remain open to Australians coming home”.

“We need to remain open as far as we can in a COVID-safe way and that means ensuring that we have got a quarantine system and one that’s effective,” the Treasurer said.