“So far, it has been a good experience. It turns into a nightmare. ” Anaïs, like hundreds of other French people, is looking to leave Australia to join her relatives in France, struck by the coronavirus crisis and forced into confinement. But the prices become unaffordable for these “backpackers” who received catering salaries, when their flights are not canceled or their boarding subject to conditions. In the meantime, you have to find accommodation, live in a country with a very high standard of living, and see your savings disappear little by little ... All without a clear solution provided by the French Embassy in Australia.
In October 2019, the adventure had started well for Anaïs, 22 years old. Originally from Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), the young manager of social wealth takes advantage of the end of a fixed-term contract to fly to Australia. With her "working holiday " visa in her pocket, which allows young foreigners to work locally, she settles in Sydney and quickly finds a job in a cafe. The stay is going well, his level of English is improving. And then the coronavirus crisis breaks out.
At the beginning of March, the French Embassy warns its nationals: "If your visa expires before June, we advise you to leave quickly, otherwise don't plan to stay only if you have enough resources to live, and if you have good insurance " Cafes, bars, restaurants, the main job providers for foreigners, are gradually closing, cutting off the supplies of a good number of young foreigners on the spot.
A new condition for embarking: a negative coronavirus test
“I took my first ticket with Thaï Airways, with a stopover in Bangkok. On boarding day, Sunday, I was asked for a medical certificate. I postponed my ticket the next day. But, on Monday, I arrived with my certificate, and Thailand had passed a new condition: a negative coronavirus test. ” Exams that are only offered to people who already have symptoms ... "We found ourselves without a solution, without accommodation, and panicked at the airport," remembers Anaïs.
With a group of ten shipwrecked people, the Toulousaine urgently finds an apartment and is looking for a new solution to return. “But the cheapest tickets cost at least 3,400 euros, knowing that we have all bought tickets that are not reimbursed. So it's the resourcefulness, and the mutual aid. “There is no more work. We have to take credit with each other, ”says Anaïs, who improvised as a spokesperson for some of these French people in a panic.
On the embassy side, "we are not given an answer," says the young woman. We have just put in place a form “intended to identify the French in Australia who no longer find a return flight solution for France. "But beware, we warn:" This is not a registration platform for repatriation at State expense, but a tool intended to capture the volume of French people concerned, as much for the State as for companies. aerial. "
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
"We understand that we do not have priority over people stranded in other countries where the health situation is more difficult, but we would like to have the certainty of obtaining at some point a flight at a reasonable price", calls Anaïs, citing long-haul flights from Indonesia chartered by France for 450 euros to be paid to the Treasury. "Today, many of us can still pay the 450 euros, but in three weeks, it will surely not be possible," she notes.
"As long as there are commercial flights, we cannot be repatriated by France"
This Thursday, Foreign Affairs assured: “Last week, there were still 130,000 French travelers stranded abroad. 100,000 of our compatriots have been able to return to France in recent days! We work hard, night and day, to resolve all problematic situations. "
"Last week, there were still 130,000 French people stranded abroad. 100,000 of our compatriots have been able to return to France in recent days! We are working hard, night and day, to resolve all the problematic situations. " - @JY_LeDrian https://t.co/UbrfYiN4PW
- France Diplomatie🇫🇷 (@francediplo) March 26, 2020For Marine, 20, the situation is also grim. The special educator, who arrived in Melbourne from Gard in January, saw her June ticket canceled, without refund. Since then, she has wanted to go home, but cannot afford to spend money on a ticket that could be canceled at the last moment by the company. "As long as there are commercial flights, even if their prices are exorbitant, we will not be able to be repatriated by France," she analyzes. While waiting for answers, Marine found shelter in a family who employed her as an au pair. "I'm one of the lucky ones, I'm fed and housed," she concedes.
Romain, 26, from Metz (Moselle) is trying his hand at poker. Pressed by the expiration of his visa at the end of May, this smartphone repairer, in Australia for two years, managed to obtain a flight for next March 30. Without having the certainty that, by then, the company will have maintained its connections…
Since the start of the crisis, Australia has had 3000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including thirteen deaths. More than 30,000 French people are still stranded far from France.
