Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Japan to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has drawn the attention of Australians still stranded in the country who are separated from their families.
Mr Morrison arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday morning for his first official overseas trip of the year, making him the first foreign leader to visit the new Japanese leader.
But the timing of his trip has been questioned by those still struggling to return home amid the constraints of Australia’s hotel quarantine caps on returning travellers.
Melbourne-based Nadia Campbell has been trying to reunite with her husband Yusuke Nemoto and six-year-old son Lars, who are in Japan, since returning to Australia earlier this year to farewell her terminally ill mother.
“We're just in limbo constantly. It's exhausting. It's been an absolute nightmare,” she told SBS News.
“I'm just hoping somehow there'll be some kind of miracle to get them safely landing in Melbourne.”
Nadia Campbell said they are uncertain when they will be reunited. Source: Supplied
The couple was running an English language school in Japan together before her departure.
Ms Campbell said her husband and son had a scheduled flight to Australia cancelled earlier this month and the uncertainty of their continued separation is taking its toll on the family.
“I'm just shocked that he [Scott Morrison] could go so close to my family and also not bring them back,” she said.
“He could take over a huge jumbo jet or something and bring back all the stranded Aussies in Japan if he wanted to. I don't know who's trying to help us."
He could take over a huge jumbo jet and bring back all the stranded Aussies in Japan if he wanted to. - Nadia Campbell
More than 35,000 Australians overseas have registered their desire to return to Australia and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed he wants to get them home by Christmas.
But Nadia’s husband Yusuke - who holds a partner visa - said it's getting harder for his family to hold out hope of a reunion, particularly for son Lars.
“He's really yearning to see his mum again and he's been trying to understand this situation about COVID and the flights situation - sometimes he struggles,” Mr Nemota said.
“[They] said they will go and bring all the stranded Aussies back to their country and their home by Christmas but it doesn’t seem to be happening.”
Why is Scott Morrison in Japan?
Ahead of his trip, Mr Morrison was asked why his visit to Japan is important considering some Australians might be surprised to hear he is travelling overseas.
"I will be one of tens of thousands of Australians who over the course of this pandemic have left Australia. This is not unusual,” he replied.
“There are many tens of thousands of Australians who have had to travel overseas.”
Mr Morrison said it was significant for him to be the first national leader to meet with Mr Suga.
“Japan [has] a very special relationship with Australia. It's not just an economic one, it's not just a trade one, it's not just a cultural and social one, importantly, it is a strategic one."
Their meeting is expected to focus on regional security including the signing off of a defence pact. The reciprocal agreement has been under negotiation for six years and would allow troops from each other’s country to visit for training and operations.
The discussion between the two leaders is taking place against the backdrop of tensions between Australia and China.
Shiro Armstrong, director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre at the Australian National University, said the trip is a symbolically significant and timely visit.
“Australia and Japan are leading a coalition of middle countries - middle power countries to really shape regional outcomes,” he said.
“This is where we need a lot of proactive action from middle powers like Australia and Japan.”
‘I couldn’t believe it’
But Western Australian resident Leigh Dearle - who has been unable to return to Perth from Japan since June - has questioned the timing of Mr Morrison’s trip.
“I was shocked when I read that - I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
“I thought 'it’s alright for him to jet-set around the place' … is completely necessary he needs to be travelling?”
After driving from Paris to Japan as part of an around the world trip, Mr Dearle found himself unexpectedly seeking to suspend his travel plans when the pandemic struck.
Leigh Dearle and his wife Stephanie are stuck in Japan. Source: Supplied
He and his wife Stephanie have attempted to fly home to Australia, but say their efforts to gain entry have been denied by a series flight cancellations.
Mr Dearle said he is a proud Australian but believed the government has not done enough to help its citizens return home.
“You felt absolutely let down and, I guess, disgusted in the way the Australian Government was treating its own citizens,” he said.
“We have given up on reaching Australia for now because we just can’t afford flights."
Retired international teachers, Kate and Nick Holywell have also been unable to return home since finishing their work in Japan in June.
Ms Holywell said the pair have also endured flight cancellations as demand for tickets has seen the cost of return flights reach as high as $8,700.
Kate and Nick Holywell have been trying to return to Australia. Source: Supplied
“It just makes it impossible for people of normal means to get back,” Mr Holywell said.
It just makes it impossible for people of normal means to get back. - Nick Holywell
Ms Holywell questioned why Mr Morrison couldn’t conduct his meeting with Mr Suga over a video conference.
“I don’t actually see why he would need to come all the way to Japan," she said.
'Violating human rights'
Limited hotel quarantine capacity across Australia's states and territories has stunted the return of incoming travellers, leaving a queue still awaiting their chance to fly home.
The federal government says the caps have played an important role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 from returning travellers.
Between now and Christmas, an additional 27,000 Australians are expected to be brought home as caps on hotel quarantine places are gradually eased.
The government also recently opened the Howard Springs Quarantine Facility in Darwin to assist in expanding quarantine arrangements for returning travellers.
But Amnesty International campaigner Joel McKay warned the return of Australians remained “too slow”, calling on the government to invest more in quarantine places and consider expanding to home quarantine arrangements.
“This quarantine program isn’t getting people through the doors fast enough,” he said.
“The Australian Government is definitely violating the human rights of Australians stranded overseas.”
