Previously successful businesses are closing, people are losing their jobs and families and young people are living in a constant state of uncertainty.

That is all as the government grapples with how best to lead the country out of the current crisis.

But being stranded overseas must involve a very particular kind of stress and heartache that few of us can even begin to imagine. About 24,000 Australians are trying to get home, while the Australian government is only allowing 4000 to return each week in order to lessen the strain on the mandatory two-week hotel quarantine period.

Capping arrivals is a tough measure, but the government is being especially rigid about border control. It's a tricky balancing act, trying to keep the country safe, while helping thousands stuck overseas.

But many of these people are suffering, away from jobs and families, unable to earn money and living in a constant state of uncertainty as flight costs soar.

People able to get flights report having their bookings cancelled at the last minute, mainly those with economy tickets.

With numbers so limited, airlines are prioritising first and business class passengers, and the cost of getting home is climbing above $10,000.

Their reasons from being far from home at such an inopportune time are as varied as life itself; from sudden losses to deaths in the family.

As the government concentrates on issues on Australian soil, many overseas say they feel abandoned, being just a number on a growing list of people desperately missing their families and communities.

Meanwhile, these people are running out of money and face the real risk of having visas expire or cancelled with no way home. It's imperative the government gives those trapped overseas some hope for the future.

In a time of such upheaval, it is the least that can be done.