Nearly 3,000 Brazilians on student visas have been out of Australia since confinement was announced, according to Australian Department of Education.
There are 2959 people, or 13% of the total of Brazilians who have invested a large part of their savings to improve their studies in the country.
Simon Birmingham, Australia's minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, said the country is not expected to reopen its border to foreign travellers until sometime in 2021, but the government is very interested in easing entry restrictions for international students.
Universities in Canberra (ACT) and in South Australia (SA) are planning to bring a limited number of foreign students into a pilot plan starting now in July, and then check if the country can open the door for all foreign students.
Whoever experiences the problem of being left out of the country lives in a kind of limbo that is hard to face.
Home, study, work, everything was suspended in Australia, while bills keep on.
And it is not known when, or if, life on the other side of the world will be resumed.
They are forced to stay in Brazil, which has become the world's epicenter of the coronavirus health crisis.
This is what happens with the couple Francis Michel and Gislaine Ribeiro, both 29 years old.
Source: Fonte: Departamento de educação da Austrália
They have been living in Canberra for almost 4 years on a student visa, with home, job and established life.
Gislaine is five months pregnant and had already paid for her son's birth in Canberra.
They are in Brazil trying to return, but they can't.
“I am pregnant, I came here with six weeks of pregnancy to stay for 40 days, with all my preparation already scheduled for my return. Two days before the closure, we didn't know if we could do it in time. Then the border closed and we were not allowed to fly back. We were totally lost. I am pregnant, I do not have health insurance in Brazil, and with all this problem, I was unable to schedule tests that I needed to do at the time, everything in lockdown here, closed, not accepting new patients. ”
Gislaine Ribeiro e Francis Michel não sabem mais se conseguirão voltar aos empregos em Canberra. Source: Gislaine e Francis (supplied)
Gislaine and Francis shared the house with another friend and another couple. They managed to negotiate to pay the rent only when they return, which will be another problem as the debt is pilling up.
“The owner froze the leasing, but when we get back, we will have to pay everything, every extra week we are here”, says Gislaine.
Francis works with window installation in Canberra. He is afraid that he won't have his job when he gets back.
Francis e Gislaine, moradores de Camberra, visitando Sydney Source: Supplied
“I have been with the company for three years. I spoke to my boss, he said he is with a lot of service, but for now he is managing somehow. But I don't know how long he will be waiting for me. ”
Francis Michel and Gislaine Ribeiro are part of a WhatsApp group with almost 200 other Brazilians who are going through the same situation.
Andressa Freire, 32, is one of them.
Living in Sydney for four years, she has a leased house in her name and works for a big hotel group.
She flew to São Paulo on March 16 to resolve personal issues.
The idea was to stay six days, but then she was not allowed to fly back.
“I hold a student visa (500) and it will expire in August. I have a digital marketing consultancy in partnership with another person and the course I am taking in Australia is extremely important for the future of my business. In addition to leaving my whole life behind, school and work, in Australia, I also have a partner there. And my bills keep coming, regardless of whether they let me go home. ”
Victor Tadeu Leal, 24, is another Brazilian who lives the limbo.
Estudante brasileira Andressa não consegue voltar à Austrália Source: Supplied
Andressa Freire, que esta no Brasil, e o namorado Matheus, que permanece na Austrália: mais de 100 dias afastados. Source: Andressa Freire (arquivo pessoal)
Living in Australia for a year now, he decided, as many do, to visit Thailand during the school holidays in March.
“During my trip, Australia's borders were closed and I was unable to return, being trapped in Thailand. The government officially announced it just a day before closing, so I couldn't find flights in time. I tried an exception through the travel request form to fly the next day, but the answer was 'no'. I was stuck in Thailand and had to come to Brazil with just a 7 kg backpack. Unfortunately it was my only option.”
Estudante Victor Leal, em Sydney Source: Supplied
“I have a life in Australia, I left a girlfriend, friends, I have bills to pay monthly (rent, mobile phone, plans, school, etc.), all my belongings are in my rented apartment in Sydney. I have all my clothes, shoes, computer, gadgets, important documents, among other things. I have my studies to finish, I paid for them ”, says Victor.
All Brazilians we talked to complain about the lack of support and contact from the Australian government.
And they are experiencing a hard personal moment.
Gislaine Ribeiro, who is pregnant and feels the pressure in double dose, summarizes the situation.
“It is very complicated, we are more fragile, we think of the other being who is coming and wants to give the best. It is pretty hard. We try to think about other things so we don't go crazy. It's really bad to go to sleep and wake up without knowing what it will be, what you can do, sleep and wake up for fear of greeting someone, or leaving the house. I would feel safer coming back, because it's our home, our life is there, it's been four years.”
