An even tighter cap on stranded Australians being allowed to return home has been deemed a human rights abuse by refugee experts. National Cabinet last week agreed to halve the weekly number of arrivals from overseas from 6,070 to 3,035, following a campaign from Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. The more than 34,000 Australians stranded overseas now have an even tougher time getting home because of tougher Covid restrictions. University of New South Wales refugee law academics Jane McAdam and Regina Jefferies said the restriction on Australian citizens and permanent residents being allowed to return home breached the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Australia is signatory to.