Australians living in the UK have described the emotional toll of being unable to return home due to Australia's strict coronavirus travel restrictions. Andrew Leslie, 52, missed his mother's funeral in Sydney after being unable to secure a flight in time. He watched the service via live stream, calling it 'surreal'. His mother, Helen, 92, died after a fall, and despite searching for flights, Andrew and his wife Anu could not get home in time due to mandatory quarantine rules.
Andrew, an IT worker, said: 'I really cannot describe the sadness and grief I've felt over the last few weeks, we always thought we were only 24 hours from being home.' The couple recorded video messages for his sister to show Helen before she died, but Andrew is still struggling to come to terms with the loss, feeling 'too detached' from the funeral.
Australia's border restrictions, introduced in March, allow only citizens and permanent residents to enter, with a cap of about 4,000 arrivals per week. All arrivals must quarantine for 14 days at a cost of around £1,650 per adult. Airlines have regularly cancelled flights, leaving an estimated 100,000 Australians stranded overseas, including 30,000 in the UK.
Sandi James, 51, a PhD researcher, has been stranded in the UK since March after a work trip to Dublin. Her flights home were cancelled, and she says the Australian High Commission in London offered no help. She is now applying for an ancestry visa to stay in the UK. 'I am stuck here alone, and am really struggling,' she said.
Carly McCrossin, 38, a first-time mother, said her family in Australia are missing out on watching her five-month-old daughter Ailish grow. Her mother was due to fly to the UK but has been unable to travel due to the restrictions.
