By Ben Kerrigan-
Australia’s immigration minister has threatened to deport backpackers and other foreign visitors caught breaking public health restrictions.
Alex Hawke expressed shock by scenes from Sydney’s Bronte Beach on Christmas Day that showed several young people freely mixing without concern of the potential risks.
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Videos of the gathering shared on social media revealed hundreds of unmasked young revellers singing and dancing in breach of coronavirus regulations on Christmas day.
Eyewitnesses said many of those present were British.
Australia had beaten the coronavirus after getting a surge in cases under impressive control. Cases of the virus returned a week before Christmas , with restrictions in the city reintroduced, including clampdowns on holiday gatherings and a lockdown of the worst-affected region, the Northern Beaches.
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“If somebody is threatening public safety or health, their visa can be cancelled and revoked,” Mr Hawke told a Sydney radio station.
Australia closed its borders to almost everyone except returning citizens or permanent residents and their families in March.
The government said in April that there were over two million people in the country on temporary visas at that time.
Anger
Many Australians expressed their anger and frustrations online, deeming the behaviour “selfish” in contrast to those who endured lockdown restrictions, or were otherwise separated from family over Christmas.
NSW state health minister Brad Hazzard said the potential “superspreader” event undermined collective efforts.
“It is absolutely appalling to see what was clearly a group of people, a large gathering of people, who didn’t give a damn about the rest of Sydney,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“Many of those backpackers come here to Australia and are enjoying the relative freedoms we have here,” Mr Hazzard was reported as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“If they were in Europe right now, most of them would be in lockdown and not even allowed outside the front door.”
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