Zoe Landreth's "life flashed in front of me" when Prime Minister Scott Morrison made an announcement that has left thousands of Australians devastated.
The already low number of Australians allowed back into the country will be halved as the coronavirus travel ban tightens over fears of the highly contagious Delta strain that sparked lockdowns for millions in multiple states and territories this week.
READ MORE: Aussies stuck overseas say flight cuts 'a major kick in the guts'
Mrs Landreth, a Melbourne expat, has already sold her house in the US in preparation to relocate back to Australia permanently with her husband Harold and 18-year-old daughter at the end of the month.
It is costing her about $80,000 including hotel quarantine, accommodation, flights and visas — and now she doesn't know if their flight will even go ahead.
READ MORE: Prime Minister reveals 'pathway out of the pandemic'
"My life flashed in front of me," she said.
"I don't think they understand the humanity around this and what it's doing to people."
After about 20 years in the US, the family — who are fully vaccinated — are returning to Australia to be closer to Mrs Landreth's ageing parents, including her father who has dementia.
They've been trying to make the move for months.
She said if the tickets are cancelled, they face living in a hotel until they can get another flight — or they may have to abandon the plan altogether. Her husband has already given up his job.
READ MORE: Sydney man stuck in Philippines for almost 15 months feels 'abandoned'
A total of 34,000 Australians have told authorities they want to come home and the move to cut flight numbers further has been slammed by campaigners for human rights and stranded Australians.
That number includes some people stuck since borders closed in March 2020 because some nations remain in lockdown or flights are too difficult to book.
There are also thousands of Australians who have been given permission to leave, such as for compassionate reasons, who now want to return.
https://twitter.com/jekearsley/status/1410783721964244998?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThen there are Australians living overseas who didn't want to return earlier — people were told to stay put if they could — who now want to come back.
Swelling the numbers are Australians trying to get home for compassionate reasons such as to see a sick or dying family member.
Australians who normally live overseas are also not barred from coming home for a holiday, adding to the pressure on flights.
To get on a flight people must test negative for COVID-19 and must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or immediate family member of someone who is — though exemptions are possible, with international celebrities continuing to arrive.
READ MORE: Sydney man dies in India after going to see sick parents
Mr Morrison admitted the rate of people testing positive while in $3000, 14-day hotel quarantine — where they are again tested multiple times — is only around one percent.
UNSW Infectious Diseases Physician Greg Dore said it was unnecessary to cut the caps to control outbreaks given the rights of stranded Australians.
https://twitter.com/GregDore2/status/1410708018535100418?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHe said bringing in home quarantine for vaccinated people now, rather than announcing a trial, should have been the plan, along with ensuring everybody involved in running hotel quarantine is vaccinated.
"The human rights and civil liberties of stranded Australians have been further eroded," Prof Dore said.
People trying to help Australians negotiate getting home have also been floored by the news.
Esther Rockett, co-founder of the Stranded Aussies Action Network, called the move "inexcusable and pathetic".
She said it will make it harder for people to get home when it should be getting easier as vaccination rates overseas rise.
"There should have been a contingency by now to have adequate and safe quarantine, enough to cover the demand," she said.
https://twitter.com/EstherRockett/status/1410784262580809737?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwJoh Gwynn, who helps run Facebook groups for stranded Aussies, said people are "heartbroken and angry".
"There is no timeline or clear trigger for this to be changed," she said, adding no help has been announced for people stranded and disputing the PM's claims repatriation flights are not full.
She said while there have been repatriation flights from India recently, they sell out immediately, and there have been some countries where people have had no flights arranged at all.
READ MORE: Aussie teacher torn between elderly father overseas, and family in Perth
Jennie Bardsley from British Travel is an agent booking commercial flights to get people home, and called the move "absolutely catastrophic".
She has already had people in tears on the phone asking if their flights — which cost from $3000 one way from Europe — would go ahead.
"What can I say to people? People are on their nerves ends as it is," she said.
READ MORE: 'There's no end goal': Expats' heartbreak over COVID-19 border closures
She also predicted airlines will start pulling out of Australia altogether, and expects ticket prices to hit $10,000.
Sophie McNeill, an Australian researcher for Human Rights Watch, said Aussies have the right to return home and the government should be helping.
https://twitter.com/Sophiemcneill/status/1410821608210505728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"At this stage of the pandemic, the Australian government needs to prioritise finding more ways to safely quarantine Australians returning from overseas," she said.
Contact journalist: Sarah Swain sswain@nine.com.au
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