Published

2 hours ago


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-56953052





Australian citizens returning home from India could face up to five years in jail and fines after the government made the journey temporarily illegal.

The health ministry said the ruling had been made "based on the proportion of people in quarantine who have acquired a Covid-19 infection in India".

Earlier this week, Australia banned all flights from India.

There are an estimated 9,000 Australians in India, 600 of whom are classed as vulnerable.

This will be the first time Australians have been criminalised for returning to their country, Australian media report.

One doctor told ABC that the government's move was disproportionate to the threat posed by those returning from India.

"Our families are quite literally dying in India overseas... to have absolutely no way of getting them out - this is abandonment," GP and health commentator Dr Vyom Sharmer said.

From Monday, anyone who has been in India within 14 days of their intended arrival date in Australia will be banned from entering the country.


The decision will be reviewed on 15 May, the health ministry said.

"The government does not make these decisions lightly," Health Minister Greg Hunt said in the statement.

"However, it is critical the integrity of the Australian public health and quarantine systems is protected and the number of Covid-19 cases in quarantine facilities is reduced to a manageable level."


An erosion of rights

Frances Mao, BBC News Sydney

There's an inscription inside the front jacket of every Australian passport. It calls for protection and assistance for citizens when they're in strife abroad.

"The Commonwealth of Australia… requests all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer, an Australian citizen, to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need."

Who would have thought that Australians are now struggling to "pass freely" back into their own country? Re-entering and living in your nation is a basic aspect of citizenship. A right of return is recognised in international law, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

But the problem for stranded Australians is that you can't argue a UN treaty in an Australian court. Citizenship rights - and many other freedoms - aren't guaranteed under their law. Australia lacks a human rights charter or explicit protections in its constitution.

greggerypeccary wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 3:22pm:





Australia lacks a human rights charter or explicit protections in its constitution.

So in an emergency situation, the government can make something a criminal offence overnight. At the height of the pandemic last year, the government beefed up its Biosecurity Act to give the health minister near unconditional powers bypassing parliament.

That's why citizens now trying to flee a danger zone can face jail for trying to come home. A legal challenge to this two-week ban will take time and be costly - public outrage and pressure may be the only effective remedy.

Bobby. wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 3:25pm:



Citizenship's good for 'em....  tsk tsk   

'Australians'

Likely dual-citizens that could stay in India until the heavy cases of coronavirus dies down.

McGowan slams travellers to India, but urges help for COVID-ravaged country

https://www.smh.com.au/national/mcgowan-slams-travellers-to-india-but-urges-help...

Quote:


And now they all suddenly want to come back, it seems.

greggerypeccary wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 3:29pm:


Yep.

Bobby. wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 3:25pm:


“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”

"the many" being the 25 million Australians who don't want Covid getting loose in this country.

Bobby,

you can't have it both ways. We either stop (or slow down) the seemingly endless stream of "returned travellers", more and more of whom are bringing Covid back with them - especially those from India - or we risk unleashing the virus upon the Australian population which would be a disaster especially since winter is almost upon us.

We've had so many "close calls" with this virus over the past 12 months but our luck will eventually run out.

You saw firsthand what happened in Victoria last year with hotel quarantine breaches involving "returned travellers" - months of lockdowns and hundreds of deaths and you weren't too pleased about all the lockdowns (especially the second 112 day one) which was understandable, of course.

I don't believe we would have quite as big a disaster as India if the virus did escape into the wider community here due to our much smaller population numbers and density but, after seeing how many deaths occurred in Victoria last year the number Australia wide could be in the tens of thousands (at least).

Bobby. wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 4:45pm:

Good, although the majority of Australians over there are Indian born, others would be permanent residents here and not citizens. Zero sympathy, for cricketers or anyone else, just the type of people who deserve a Darwin award.