Highlights
- Australian citizens, permanent residents get more reasons to apply for travel exemption for India
- Death, funeral, illness, bringing back minors to Australia added to the list
- Parents of Australian minors stranded in India welcome announcement
The has recently announced that Australian citizens and permanent residents have more reasons to seek outbound travel exemption than before.
The new reasons include the death or funeral or a close family member, attending a critically-ill close family member and escorting and a minor Australian citizen or permanent resident back to Australia. Supporting documents need to be provided while applying for exemption.
Welcome news for Aussie minors stranded in India
Parents of Australian minors have welcomed this announcement.
Last week, Sydney-based Sheersh Srivastava received an exemption to travel to India to bring back his two-year-old son Kiyan from India. This was his fourth attempt at applying for an exemption.
“On 21 May, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. So, I applied for travel exemption the same day with all papers, including my mother’s health records. But my application was rejected within five minutes,” Mr Srivastava told SBS Hindi.
He then approached the Indian High Commission in Canberra and his local MP in Sydney for support.
“My application was finally approved on 7 June,” he said.
This announcement was made on 6 June.
Changes prompted by India’s COVID crisis
Sheersh Srivastava with his wife Shilpa and their son Kiyan. Source: Supplied by Sheersh Srivastava
The Australian Border Force (ABF) said the decision was based on current health advice.
“This widens the categories under which outwards travel exemptions for travel to India may be approved, but is still more limited than the general exemptions that would apply for travel to other country considering the relative health risks,” an ABF spokesperson told SBS Hindi in an emailed statement.
“Each case is unique and is considered individually based on the information and supporting evidence provided,” the spokesperson added.
The Australian government had restricted the movement of Australian citizens and permanent residents to India following the second wave of coronavirus that had hit the country in May.
Earlier, critical workers assisting in India’s COVID-19 response, people travelling in Australia’s national interest and those seeking urgent medical treatment that cannot be provided in Australia, were allowed to travel to India.
Family reunion, at last
Mr Srivastava's parents and son were scheduled to fly to Australia in April 2020, but Australia closed its borders in March due to the pandemic.
He and his wife had travelled to India in October 2019, barely a few days before their Kiyan’s first birthday.
“It’s a heartbreaking situation for the family. My mother is unwell and we have missed two birthdays of our son. We have seen him only grow in pictures and on the phone,” said an emotional Mr Srivasatva.
While Mr Srivastava will soon be able to travel to India to bring Kiyan back, he will have to join the queue with another 10,500 Australian citizens and permanent residents stranded there, including over 200 minors, waiting to return home.
While he will rely on commercial flights for their return, Mr Srivastava fears that the expense of flights and quarantine might set him back by six months in terms of his savings.
SBS Hindi queried the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about similar concerns raised by others like Mr Srivastava. In an emailed response, the department said that they encourage Australians seeking to return home to register with them.
“Offers of seats on facilitated commercial flights from India are made to Australians registered with DFAT, based on vulnerability,” the department stated.
Parents of Aussie minors appeal to government
Sheersh Srivastava says his son was to return with his grand parents to Australia in April 2020. Source: Supplied by Sheersh Srivastava
Neha Sandhu, a resident of Queensland, runs a support group on social media to assist parents and their stranded children in India.
Talking about parents of minors who can’t travel to India to bring them back to Australia, Ms Sandhu said that they depend on carers to do so. But they are facing problems, nonetheless.
She told SBS Hindi that such parents demand the Australian government allow them to stay with their children in quarantine facilities once they reach Australia.
“These children are young and can’t live alone in quarantine facilities. Parents are ready to pay for their stay and follow all COVID guidelines,” Ms Sandhu said.
“The government is yet to take a decision on that,” she added.
Neha Sandhu has been providing support to parents whose kids are stranded in India since July 2020. Source: Supplied by Ms Sandhu
“Many carers have backed off at the last minute because while they agree to accompany these minors on flights, they don’t want to take responsibility for them during the mandatory 72 hour-hotel quarantine before flying to Australia as per government requirements,” Ms Sandhu said.
“Parents want the Australian government to allow a guardian or member of the family to stay with the child for those 72 hours. While their families are ready to bear the costs and follow the COVID protocol, the government has denied their request,” she said.
