Citizens of Pacific Island nations who are stuck in Australia due to COVID-19 border closures are begging their governments to get them back home.

Key points: Australia has urged international visitors without financial support to return home

Australia has urged international visitors without financial support to return home However Vanuatu and several other Pacific Island nations have closed their borders

However Vanuatu and several other Pacific Island nations have closed their borders Stranded citizens are now running out of funds, and there are no repatriation flights planned

With no income and no idea when they'll be allowed to return, some of those in Australia fear they may be left homeless if officials don't act soon.

When news broke last month of governments closing their borders, Dublin City University student Tristina Karae immediately booked a flight home to Vanuatu from Ireland.

"The situation was just getting a bit panicked … and my family were a bit worried of having me out there by myself in Europe," Ms Karae said.

The journey home for Ms Karae meant transiting through two other countries, Abu Dhabi and then Australia.

Ms Karae told the ABC she was only meant to stay in Brisbane overnight before her connecting flight to Vanuatu the following day, but it never happened.

In March, the Vanuatu Government went into lockdown, cancelling international flights, including the one Ms Karae was due to board.

"I think I'm going on 34 days now in Australia. Which is kind of ridiculous," she said.

Ms Karae paid for accommodation in Brisbane for 28 days after her flight was cancelled, self-isolating as per Australia's guidelines for international visitors.

She then went to stay with relatives in the regional city of Toowoomba to save money.

Vanuatu declared a state of emergency and closed its borders last month. ( Flickr: Vjpaul )

"They told us we'd have repatriation flights back after the first state of emergency. So it didn't make sense for me to move all the way out of Brisbane," she said.

"But then Vanuatu implemented another state of emergency … and they didn't tell us for how long, which is hard because we were renewing hotel stays week-by-week or day-by-day, which is really expensive."

Though she said she was grateful to stay with family while in Australia, she was still desperate to return home.

"The thing with Vanuatu is we have low wage rates, so we have to dig deep into our pockets and our family have to dig deep into their pockets," Ms Karae said.

"Which is difficult for them to support themselves and at the same time support us."

Hundreds waiting to get home

Mr Malas says there is no-one to financially help his family back home in Vanuatu. ( Supplied )

George Malas visited Brisbane with his family for a friend's wedding five weeks ago. They haven't been able to leave since.

"We thought [the Vanuatu Government] were going to send out another repatriation flight, but they never [did]," he said.

"We didn't have an opportunity to get on the first because it was full," he told the ABC.

Mr Malas said up to 200 other ni-Vanuatu citizens like him were waiting for a flight back home from Australia.

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Vanuatu is just one of several Pacific countries that have closed their borders due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Some governments have arranged for repatriation flights to bring back those stuck abroad. New Zealand arranged a repatriation flight for some of its citizens stuck in Samoa last Friday.

The ABC understands no such flights have been organised between Pacific governments and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Malas has been staying with his Australian in-laws in Brisbane for the past month.

He told the ABC the situation was taking a toll on his family back home who relied on him as the eldest member of his family.

Mr Malas' father died last year, leaving him as the main breadwinner for his mother and younger siblings who did not work. He said he was worried his family were running out of food.

"It's really hard to leave my family back at home, [there's] no-one to help," he said.

Mr Malas fears others in his situation may be facing homelessness. ( ABC News: Stephanie Anderson )

But Mr Malas said he was faring better than many others who did not have family in Australia to support them.

Others in the same situation were facing homelessness as they struggled to pay for mounting food and accommodation costs, he said.

"When I spoke to other [Vanuatu] citizens here, they say [they] don't have any money … because [they] just saved enough for when [they] thought they'd be here," he said.

Vanuatu's National Disaster Office told local media the Government was providing assistance and that it "will meet costs" of those stranded abroad.

The ABC contacted Vanuatu's High Commission in Australia for clarification, however had not received a response at time of publication.

Returning home financially impossible for many

Clara Jajar is waiting to be able to return to Papua New Guinea. ( Supplied )

Papua New Guinean Clara Jajar, who is currently living with her daughter-in-law in Perth, told the ABC she feared facing legal punishment if she were to overstay her visa.

"I must go back to PNG, because the visa says you must go back. That's why I must go out of the country first. Abide by the law, you know," Ms Jajar said.

A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC temporary visa holders could apply for a new visa before their current one expired.

If they're unable to do so, they are urged to contact the department.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged visitors without any support in Australia to return home, but some say that's just not possible.

Grace Nugi (left) and her sister Pamela have been trying to get home since their mother died last month. ( Supplied )

Brisbane student Grace Nugi and her sister Pamela have been trying to return to Papua New Guinea since their mother died last month.

PNG's Department of Foreign Affairs told her, however, that anyone wanting to return to PNG would have to book their own airline ticket and pay for a mandatory 14-day quarantine at the Holiday Inn in Port Moresby.

Ms Nugi said she and her sister had given up hope of returning because it is too expensive, adding though that her university was working towards assisting her with visa issues and extending her stipend so she could remain in Australia.

Sarah Black, a Victorian business-owner, told the ABC she had been supporting five ni-Vanuatu citizens who were desperate to return home.

"I've been giving a little bit of money, because it's kind of shocking. They don't have additional funds. It's putting a huge strain on their finances," she said.

Sarah Black fears those stuck abroad will soon be unable to keep paying for accommodation. ( Supplied )

Ms Black fears those stuck abroad are being neglected. She's in touch with an immigration lawyer in Australia to find out what can be done.

"It's starting to feel a bit futile, but within a week we are looking at people not being able to afford accommodation. So this is an immediate concern," she said.

The ABC contacted both the Vanuatu and PNG Government regarding repatriation flights but was yet to receive a response.