Hope and bitterness among New Zealanders stranded abroad: Country opens its borders in almost two years

New Zealanders stranded abroad are eager to return home With the announcement that they could return in early 2022, they were momentarily moved by the novelty of being able to avoid the system of forced isolation administered by the government. However, not everyone is happy to face another summer of separation from their loved ones.

The country will reopen its borders to visitors who were vaccinated in the first months of 2022 for the first time since Prime Minister Jacinta Arden announced a quick closure in the first month of the Govt-19 epidemic. The country’s borders have been closed for unrestricted travel for nearly two years.

The border will be open to New Zealanders and visa holders from Australia, then to other parts of the world, and to other visitors who were finally vaccinated by the end of April. They are still forced to be isolated in their homes for a week, but They no longer have to go through the country’s limited and expensive managed isolation facilities.

“After I read February 13, 2022, The [aislamiento administrado] For Kiwis in ‘high risk’ places, I started crying “, Said Laura Iriarde. He left New Zealand for a short voyage in February 2020, but was stranded in Panama as the plague broke out and New Zealand’s borders were closed. It is still in Central America You have not seen your baby since January last year.

Sheryl Clark from Victoria, Australia said: “Ask that we are not going to spend seven days [aislamiento administrado] This is wonderful news. “

“We are trying Return to New Zealand for over 12 months, And our life seems to have stopped indefinitely. Not just New Zealand entry restrictions, But closing in Victoria, that is, arranging to sell our house, is being delayed every month.“.

Clark said he tried to get a spot in the six-time privilege lottery. Since November 14 the government has taken a seat when the isolation requirements were changed to seven days.

“Still, delays realistically mean we have to pick a February date I missed two funerals for loved ones, my sister’s 70 and, of course, my first Christmas with my family for over 15 years. “Clark said.

Lisa Stella said her husband, who works in Hong Kong, has been trying to get home since June Has made seven attempts to gain a place in the managed isolation and isolation system. “Nine minutes after hearing this news, my husband, who works abroad, bought a ticket from Hong Kong to New Zealand.”

But for many New Zealanders, the government’s strict border controls and challenged managed isolation system They have permanently damaged their reputation.

“For me [el anuncio] I think this is completely useless and the current restrictions are completely exaggerated. 90% of New Zealand vaccines are the same as in Australia. It is time to end the destruction of the economy and the marginalization of families and the denial of New Zealanders their right to return to their homeland and leave. Vanessa Freeman said.

Freeman, a Melbourne-based New Zealand citizen, wants to come home in the summer and visit his family. “We can’t go home during the holidays, even if working people have seven days to spend in solitude and still have work time to see their loved ones.”

“My son is very close with his relatives in New Zealand, my mother is old and unwell and after the last two years I am very emotional and tired. I want to spend Christmas with my loved ones, recover and recharge.

Freeman said he initially supported the government’s response to the epidemic and voted for Labor in the 2020 election, but said: “[Ahora] They lost me and my family.

For others, the idea of ​​New Zealand as a “home” has been called into question. Ian Fenn, who lives in Austria, said it surprised him New Zealand “can very easily prevent its own citizensFurther commenting on the boundary notice: “I think it’s a long delay, but my faith in my own country and the people of New Zealand has always changed, at worst.”

Sharelle Govignon-Sweet said: “I did not even jump for joy. As for my feelings about” home “and what it means to me now, the damage has already been done.

“In short, our nation has left us and the people have been quiet about it, which indicates that there is an unspoken agreement between the two. All of this has changed me forever because of the lack of remorse or compassion experienced by those who locked us up. “.

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