Non-Residents To Be Locked In On Return As Australia Toughens Border Curbs

Coronavirus: Australians residing in the country are already prohibited from going overseas without the government exemptions.

Australia is making some of the world's toughest pandemic border curbs even tougher, by barring non-resident citizens who enter the country from leaving again to reduce pressure on a quarantine system that's being tested by the delta variant. One of the few nations that banned citizens from leaving when the pandemic hit, Australia's government amended the border policy Thursday to close a loophole allowing expatriates to visit home and leave the country again without applying for an exemption from the ban. Now, those hoping to return to their residences abroad will have to demonstrate to the Australian Border Force Commissioner a "compelling reason for needing to leave Australian territory." The amendment takes effect Aug. 11 and could end up forcing some expats planning long-awaited visits home to rethink their plans. It could also leave immediate families separated if not all members traveled to Australia at the same time. "We've seen too many instances where people have left the country only for in relatively short order to put their names on the request list to come back," Finance Minister Simon Birmingham told reporters in Canberra. "That just puts additional pressure and additional difficulties in terms of managing the finite number of places that can safely be administered for returning Australians."