An Australian traveller has launched a scathing attack on the federal government, accusing it of abandoning its citizens in the midst of the escalating US-Iran war in the Middle East. Trina Hockley, who became stranded in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday as the conflict erupted, claims she was effectively 'dumped' in Riyadh by consular officials and left to navigate a perilous journey home alone.
Desperate Struggle to Return Home
Ms Hockley was en route to Helsinki, Finland, when hostilities broke out, abruptly halting her travel plans. She described arriving in Doha on Tuesday to find the city already 'abandoned', with dozens of Australians similarly trapped and scrambling to find a way back. According to her account, the process has been overwhelmingly conducted without meaningful government assistance.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) did facilitate a bus passage from Doha to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Ms Hockley asserts that the remainder of the ordeal has been entirely her own responsibility. She now finds herself in direct competition with other Australians for scarce and outrageously priced commercial flights.
Exorbitant Costs and Lack of Support
'The Australian government doesn't want to know us so we're on our own,' Ms Hockley told media. She detailed her current situation, having secured a flight from Oman to Bangkok at a staggering personal cost of $7,000, with the final leg to Australia still unbooked. 'The costs are exorbitant and everyone's fighting to do the same thing. There's no help whatsoever.'
She contrasted Australia's approach with that of other nations, stating, 'Every other country has repatriated their citizens either with charter flights or mass bookings. No one is doing this to their citizens, just dumping them in Riyadh and saying 'good luck'.'
Harsh Conditions During Evacuation
The 13-hour bus journey from Qatar to Saudi Arabia was described as gruelling. Ms Hockley reported receiving only an apple, a sandwich, and some chocolate biscuits for sustenance. Although an Australian official was present for two-thirds of the trip, they reportedly departed before any customs checks between the countries.
The transport itself was painfully slow; the bus took over five hours to traverse a mere 100 kilometres between Doha and Riyadh. Now, all passengers from that bus are competing for seats on unrepatriated flights from Oman, potentially leaving each traveller thousands of dollars out of pocket despite being caught in an active warzone.
Government Response and Broader Crisis
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who has supported efforts to de-escalate the conflict and promote regional stability, acknowledged the scale of the crisis. She revealed that Iranian strikes had disrupted air routes across the Middle East, triggering one of Australia's largest-ever peacetime consular operations.
Minister Wong confirmed that over 115,000 Australians were in the region when the crisis began, prompting DFAT to open emergency registration portals and organise evacuation pathways across multiple countries. 'This is a very big consular effort,' she stated, noting that around 11,000 Australians had been assessed as eligible for evacuation.
Thus far, nine flights have departed Dubai for Australia, with more scheduled. However, this response has done little to assuage the fears and frustrations of stranded individuals like Ms Hockley, who feel utterly abandoned by their government in a time of dire need.
