[Media Release] CAF Response to Morrison Government Ban On Australians Returning from India

The Chinese Australian Forum strongly opposes the Government's decision to jail and fine Australians returning home from India. We stand with our fellow Australians and demand our government fulfils its moral and legal obligations to let Australians come home.

CAF president, Mr Jason Yat-sen Li, states: “To ban Australian citizens from returning to their own country of citizenship, particularly when their lives are in danger, is morally and democratically wrong, as well as a breach of Australia’s international human rights obligations.”

“Alternative quarantine solutions must be available before the implementation of these draconian measures that devalue Australian citizenship and debase our country’s obligations to its people”.

“It is difficult to avoid the perception that there is a racial element to this ban. It is difficult to imagine that the Australian government would jail and fine citizens returning from the US or UK”.

“This move also sets a dangerous precedent. Half of the Australian population has at least one parent born overseas, making the Australian community one of the most multicultural in the world. We cannot be closed to the world without great pain for the Australian people.”

Indian Australians have made an enormous contribution to our country and do not deserve to be abandoned in their time of need.

We call on the Australian Government to urgently expand and improve quarantine arrangements, accelerate our vaccination program and plan for the reopening of Australia to the world.