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Events > Registry: British Travellers in Australia

 

STATEMENT FROM VICKI TREADELL, THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER TO AUSTRALIA

31 March 2020

The overriding priority of the UK government is to assist British travellers, estimated at 1 million people globally, who need and want to return home to the UK. This includes those British travellers currently in Australia.

I know this is a very worrying time for those affected. We are doing all we can to help get our people home. We are dealing with an unprecendented international crisis. Never before have we had so many British travellers in so many different places struggling to get home. 

In Australia, we are focused on working with airlines to keep existing commercial routes open and increase capacity. We are pleased that Qatar Airways have increased their capacity to run three daily flights from Sydney, two from Melbourne, two from Perth and one from Brisbane.

We have also worked with Malaysia Airlines who are laying on additional commercial flights in April and will fly twice weekly from Melbourne, twice weekly from Sydney and weekly from Perth.

British airways will continue to operate their Sydney to London flight until the 8 April, with a technical re-fuelling stop in Singapore.

We continue to engage with all other airlines and will keep people updated on our progress through our @UKinAustralia social media pages (Twitter and Facebook). We have set up a registration site for British travellers to provide us with their details. This is so we have information about the location, number and specific needs of indviduals. I have sent an email to everybody who has registered with us.

A number of people have understandably been asking about repatriation flights following yesterday's statement by the UK Foreign Secretary. He was clear that at the moment we are encouraging people to use commercial options where they are still available. With thousands of British travellers stuck worldwide and commercial routes still in operation between Australia and the UK, repatriation flights here will not be an option for some time. 

Cost, we know, is a huge issue for individuals and we are pressing airlines to keep the flights affordable. Even with a repatriation flight, people will still be expected to pay, so commercial flights remain the quickest option.

Where people are in real need, our consular teams are working with them to consider their options and how they might manage. As a last resort, the Foreign Office can offer an emergency loan to cover the cost of a ticket, but this would need to be repaid at a later date. Emergency loans will be subject to airline availability and the same terms and conditions as other ticket purchases. 

There will also be many British people who choose to stay in Australia during this difficult time. We are working with the Australian government to support these people. People may also choose to stay because they are dual nationals or have ongoing employment and homes here. The Australian Department of Home Affairs are supporting those who need visa extensions and people should contact them via covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au.

Those unable to leave Australia at this time, should find accommodation that's suitable for their needs and register their details with us to keep up-to-date with our travel advice and the latest information from local authorities and airlines. We are looking at other support requirements and will provide ongoing advice in this fast evolving situation.