Are you officially trapped when you arrive in Australia? Australia revises exit control measures to tighten epidemic prevention policy, causing controversy
[Global Times Special Correspondent in Australia Da Qiao Global Times Special Correspondent Zhen Xiang] According to an Australian Sky News report on the 11th, Australia has implemented stricter exit policies for its citizens from the same day. Nationals must go to the border check in advance before leaving Australia. The department submits a special application.
Australian media said that the Australian government quietly revised the exit control measures last week without an official announcement, which caught many people off guard.
According to the new regulations, Australians who have lived overseas for a short period of time after returning to Australia for reasons such as visiting relatives must prove to the Australian government that they are indeed living abroad for a long time, including the issuance of a foreign driver’s license and an overseas housing lease contract. , Employment certificates of overseas employers, etc.
At the same time, Australian citizens who have lived in Australia for a long time must meet stricter restrictive conditions if they wish to leave the country. Accept medical services that cannot be provided in Australia.
9News.com reported that these measures are aimed at reducing as much as possible the return of Australians living overseas.
Currently, about 34,000 Australians living overseas are waiting in line to return to Australia.
The promulgation of the upgraded version of the restrictions on exporting abroad has caused a lot of controversy.
Canberra University citizenship law expert Rubenstein said that the tightening of the above regulations is worrying, which means that “no matter where you live in the world, as long as you come to Australia, you are officially trapped.” The legality of question.
On the charity petition website change.org, someone has initiated a petition against the Australian government's strengthening of exit control.
It is worth noting that many countries set strict entry restrictions during the new crown pneumonia epidemic, but Australia is one of the few countries in the world that restricts the exit of its citizens.
According to data from the Australian Health Department, on the 11th, there were 368 newly confirmed cases in Australia, including 344 newly confirmed cases in New South Wales and 20 newly confirmed cases in Victoria.
Since the outbreak of this round of the epidemic, the total number of confirmed cases in Australia has exceeded 6000.
The blockade of Sydney has entered its seventh week, and Melbourne, the second largest city, announced on the 11th that it would extend the blockade for 7 days.