Dozens of desperate Aussies are STILL ‘stuck in limbo’ in New Caledonia as they try to flee riots that have killed at least six people
There are still around a hundred desperate Aussies ‘stuck in limbo’ in New Caledonia as they try to flee riots that have left at least six people dead, while only more than half of the stranded Aussies have made it home.
A French plane arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday evening with 103 Australian nationals and family members on board, after 84 Australians and 24 other nationals were repatriated to the Queensland capital on Tuesday.
A total of 187 Australians and their family members have now returned from New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a post on social media platform X.
There are about 500 Australians in New Caledonia and in total about 300 Australians had registered their interest in coming home with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pacific Island Minister Pat Conroy told ABC TV on Wednesday.
Australia would continue to work with the French government on further flights, Conroy said.
Another 103 Australians and their family members landed in Brisbane on Wednesday evening (pictured) on a French flight with assisted departure from New Caledonia.
Relieved passengers arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday evening, but about 100 Aussies are still stranded and waiting for a flight home
βThe main plan is for more French flights, but as I have stated publicly, we do have contingency plans and aircraft on standby if there is a problem with that,β he said.
Those on board the first two flights were relieved after days of not finding a way out of the island, said Fadi Chemali, who was on the first plane to reach Australia.
“Everyone clapped when we landed, we were all so happy,” he told AAP after landing in Brisbane.
Mr Chemali had been on holiday with his wife and daughter for a week before the riots broke out and spent eight days looking for a way home.
βI didn’t see any of the violence up close, but we heard a lot, including gunshots from where we were. It was pretty intense.β
At least six people have been killed and hundreds injured in the area since violence broke out last Monday.
Rob Slade (pictured left) greets his partner Vicki Murray (right) after arriving from New Caledonia
Australian tourists Monique (left), Juliett (center) and Pascal Urban (right) arrive from New Caledonia
French troops are trying to stop further unrest, razing buildings, looting shops and barricading roads.
Australian Consul General to New Caledonia Annelise Young posted on X that her team had been working around the clock with officials in Canberra and Paris and working closely with French authorities to ensure safe passage for Australian tourists.
New rules governing who can participate in national elections have been rejected by indigenous Kanaks, who fear their vote will be diluted by thousands of French nationals who have moved to the island.
About 270 rioters have been arrested and a 12-hour curfew has been imposed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
France has sent more than a thousand security personnel and hundreds more to help quell the unrest.
The reopening of the international airport to commercial flights will be reassessed on Thursday.
Australia has urged people to reconsider traveling to New Caledonia.
Those there have been advised to restrict their movements.