Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ciccone, for the question. The Albanese government's No. 1 priority is, and will always be, to keep Australians safe at home and abroad. This has been a difficult time for Australians in the Middle East. Iran has attacked 12 countries, and we have seen overnight that these attacks are escalating. In recent days, Dubai airport itself has been under fire from Iranian missiles and drones and, since 28 February, more than 27,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled.

I am pleased that, as of this morning, some 2,600 Australians have returned on 18 commercial flights, and further services are scheduled in coming days. We know commercial airlines remain the fastest way to help Australians leave the Middle East at scale. I am also advised by airports and airlines that the overwhelming majority of Australian passengers stranded while transiting through the Middle East have now left. However, there are many more Australians still in the region. With the airport closed in Kuwait, we have arranged bus transportation to Riyadh. Two of those buses arrived this morning, allowing Australians to continue their journey from there on commercial lights. Similarly for Australians in Bahrain, DFAT officials are working with our partners on arranging bus transport to Riyadh in coming days.

We know getting on buses and planes is a very difficult decision for Australians living in the region, but I would again make the statement that the Prime Minister and I made this morning: we encourage those who wish to leave to do so now, while commercial flights, however limited, remain available. The DFAT crisis centre remains activated. The registration portal is open for Australians in Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon and the UAE. We continue to advise: do not travel to most destinations in the Middle East.