Cancelled flights and lack of government help has Australian stranded in BC

Melbourne is currently under a state of disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Beattie, his hometown is in its third lockdown as cases throughout Australia increase.

“You can’t even fly into Melbourne even if you could get on a flight. You’d be forced to go to Sydney and pay $3,000 for quarantine, and then pay another $3,000 to quarantine in Melbourne. So it’s six grand if you could get home, which I would be happy to do if I could get on a flight, but it just hasn’t happened.”

To top off the chaotic situation for Beattie, his two-year work visa expired last month after first arriving in Canada back in July of 2018. He’s spent that time since arriving in the Great White North working for BC Parks and in Torino on Vancouver Island. He’s since applied for what’s called a Workaway, which is volunteer work in exchange for temporary housing for travellers.

“I don’t want to be like a burden on anyone. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be stuck here. It could be ages. I’m not one to put my responsibility on everyone else. It’s just a tough situation,” said Beattie.

Laura Gibson heard her daughter talking about a friend of hers, that friend being Drew, and the difficulties he was facing in being unable to get home. Gibson says her motherly concern kicked in.

“I said that can’t possibly be true. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it. So I reached out to Drew and asked him about it and he told me his story, and I asked him ‘would you like some help?’ I was thinking maybe there was something else I could do. So I did, I also contacted our MLA, our MP, I phoned the Consulate, I tried everything,” explained Gibson. “He cannot possibly get home. There are no direct flights. They have all been suspended from Canada to Australia.”

He’s had four flights cancelled since March. He then started messaging local members of parliament in hopes of getting some help. None have been able to be offered, however.

If Beattie were to try to take a route through Asia, he’s been told he would be denied entry upon arrival. And if he were to attempt going through the United States, he runs the risk of being caught in a country where the cases of COVID-19 are far worse than here in Canada.

“It’s super stressful. Luckily, I think I’m pretty positive, so instead of getting frustrated, I’ve been trying to think of a smart way of how to fix things.”

Initially, when he realized the likelihood of him getting home wasn’t looking food, he made an attempt to extend his visa just before it was set to expire. Working down in Tofino on Vancouver Island, his workplace was on board to have him sign a one-year contract, however, a week later his visa application was denied.

“After talking to an MP on the phone, he said look you’re not in a good situation. Everyone I talk to says ‘we’re so sorry, we just can’t help you. We don’t know what to do.”

The most recent piece of advice he’s received came from the Australian High Commission in Ottawa, telling Beattie to stay here until October 24 and see if Australia changes its rules for its borders.

Even his family doesn’t fully understand the situation, and Beattie states that he doesn’t have financial support from them or anyone for that matter.

“It’s hard to explain to them what it’s like when they’re not here,” admitted Beattie.

CKPG reached out to the Australian High Commission in Ottawa regarding Beattie’s situation. In an email response, a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that Australian consular officials around the world are doing all they can to assist Australians overseas impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, due to privacy obligations they are unable to comment on individual cases.

by Ethan Ready

Cancelled flights and lack of government help has Australian stranded in BC

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