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Australians Stuck Overseas Slam Scott Morrison’s ‘Inhumane’ Cap On Arrivals

In January this year, Ben Orr left Australia for an enviable new paramedic job with the United Kingdom’s NHS health care system.

After learning that Uma, Orr’s wife, would endure a complicated pregnancy, the couple decided Orr would head to London first while Uma, a doctor, stayed in Queensland to be close to her medical specialists. The plan was for him to start work and return to Queensland for the birth of their first child, and they would then fly to London together as a family.

Working as a paramedic and witnessing people die from COVID-19, Orr knew flying home amid the pandemic would be difficult. And then Prime Minister Scott Morrison capped the arrival of Australians from abroad at 4,000 people a week.

This means the limited number of airlines that still fly to Australia are permitted to carry up to 50 passengers only — Australian nationals only — and everyone else’s flights are cancelled, creating a domino effect of chaos for anyone bumped from their original flights. Once they finally get home to Australia, arrivals must spend 14 days in hotel quarantine at their own expense.

Orr was bumped from two flights, but secured an economy seat with Etihad Airways. He finished his last day of hotel quarantine just days out from his wife’s due date.

“My wife’s 37 weeks pregnant, I wanted to get home to be here for the birth,” Orr told HuffPost Australia from Sydney’s Marriott Hotel.

“She’s having it Queensland, so I have to get into Queensland, which is another issue. I have all my paperwork; if I go straight to the airport (from Sydney hotel quarantine), hopefully, I won’t have to quarantine again.”

Paramedic Ben Orr was finally reunited with his wife Uma on Thursday after they spent the past seven months apart. Uma is due to give birth in Queensland next week. 
Paramedic Ben Orr was finally reunited with his wife Uma on Thursday after they spent the past seven months apart. Uma is due to give birth in Queensland next week.

There are many stories like Orr’s, but the PM doesn’t seem to be too concerned.

“There’s been many opportunities for people to return. If they’re choosing to do so now, they’ve obviously delayed that decision for a period,” Morrison said of the July announcement to cap arrivals, a statement Orr said proved...

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