Australia defends decision to penalize its citizens returning from COVID-ravaged India

How long before everyone from any country is slapped with a fine or cart you off to the slammer. Democratic?

Just set up a strict quarantine-its just science...

14 Australian cricketers, 2 coaches and 4 commentators are now stuck in India till the end of IPL and maybe beyond. Difficult situation for them, feel sorry for these 'poor' cricketers but then, the millions they earn would more than make up for it.

the millions they earn would more than make up for it.

It’ll buy them one expensive funeral pyre

You've got to wonder, why on earth were they in India in the first place. The second wave had already started by early April.

I am baffled by what opponents of this move want. "Let's fix our quarantine system rather than leave our fellow Australians stranded..."

That's a sound bite or a tweet. What's a realistic policy that will protect the rest of the Australian population? Frankly speaking, I cannot think of anything other than assuming they have been exposed and quarantining them for 10+ days and testing them regularly.

Maybe the complaint stems from these people having to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense?

Pandemic or not, the right of every citizen to re-enter their country should be inviolable. There are plenty of draconian quarantine measures that could have been implemented on arrival instead.

You've got to wonder, why on earth were they in India in the first place. The second wave had already started by early April.

According to the Australian government there are 9000 Australian citizens living in India.

Roughly a quarter of the 35,000 Australians stranded overseas are in India, which reported close to 400,000 cases on Friday and more than 200,000 total deaths.

Well there were also approx 300,000 recoveries on Friday, this part is subtly omitted.. the standard disinformation narrative..this reporter fits the self loathing apologist types..

Australia clocked zero cases of community transmission on Monday.

Australia's quarantine hotels have seen a 1,500% spike in COVID-19 cases from India since March

That's a disconnect right there, so it is fair to assume that 1,500% spike all recovered, now that is good news..

Keeping coronavirus out is the priority now. Aren't there islands off the mainland where they can let these people come for a few weeks ?

Those islands are for the illegal immigrants.. and given the Australian treatment of illegal immigrants is far far worse compared to say the US..last the the citizens want is to land up on those islands.

It’s sad that when a citizen is stuck overseas in a dire situation their own government disowns and wants nothing to do with them. Given proper protocols following “the science” it is not too difficult to safely repatriate their fellow citizens. Shame on you Australian government.

Roughly a quarter of the 35,000 Australians stranded overseas are in India, which reported close to 400,000 cases on Friday and more than 200,000 total deaths.

The 35,000 figure is just the number of citizens actively trying to get back to OZ. The actual number of citizens overseas is much higher. And the number isn't going down, the miniscule quota that are being let back in barely enough to offset the people newly trying to repatriate.

14 Australian cricketers, 2 coaches and 4 commentators are now stuck in India till the end of IPL and maybe beyond. Difficult situation for them, feel sorry for these 'poor' cricketers but then, the millions they earn would more than make up for it.

Sigh. There are according to the article some 35,000 Australians living abroad and a quarter of those live in India. A little simple arithmetic tells you that somewhere in the neighborhood of 8000 to 9000 Australians live in India. They are not all highly paid cricket players! They are business people employed by big multi national corporations, probably an Australian staff for Quantas at various major airports, staff from companies importing and exporting goods between India and Australia, etc. I would be curious to know if this new law applies to Australian diplomats and their families posted to the Australian embassy and consulates in India?

"They are business people employed by big multi national corporations, probably an Australian staff for Quantas at various major airports, staff from companies importing and exporting goods between India and Australia, etc. I would be curious to know if this new law applies to Australian diplomats and their families posted to the Australian embassy and consulates in India?"

Most probably the major number out of these 8000 to 9000 would be 'brown' Australians who are now back in India working from home and looking after their families. They will go back to Australia after the travel restrictions end but only after they have cremated the dead and the departed.

only white man country can do this without being labelled as "human right abuses" or "genocide"

@mrtinjp

There’s a difference in cases that are in quarantine and community transmission. Due to many recent arrivals from India the cases in quarantine have spiked. Cases recorded in the general community are low to non existent.

only white man country can do this without being labelled as "human right abuses" or "genocide"

I don’t know about that. When the Left is out of power they will readily use the race card to take down the opposition - even if it means branding their own nation racist.

Heartless scumbags. Japan would never do such things to her citizens