In Queensland’s COVID-19 update on Wednesday, the Queensland Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles revealed that last month 20,000 non-Australians were permitted to enter Australia, with half of those on short term temporary visas.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, hundreds of citizens from other countries have been entering Australia from the UK, China, the US, Indonesia, South Africa each week, including 250 people from the Philippines.
“The borders are not genuinely closed” – says Dr Steven Miles.
“These travellers are displacing Australians who are genuinely stranded overseas”
The Morrison government is said to have directed the Bureau of Statistics to stop collating this data.
The Deputy Premier also noted that 40,000 Australian citizens have been able to leave Australia on the basis that they are attending a business meeting overseas.
These Australians are also returning via hotel quarantine system, putting the community at risk. “We do know that many of these people will have COVID-19,” said Dr Miles.
