A Maltese woman has been separated from her partner in Australia for more than 20 months, with hopes of a reunion dashed repeatedly by changing COVID-19 travel rules.

Ruby Delezio, who holds a temporary visa in Australia, flew to Malta in April 2020, a month after the global health emergency became a pandemic.

She had hoped to finally return to Sydney this month, after the government planned to ease border restrictions but she was forced to put these plans on hold after the reopening date was postponed while the Australian health authorities evaluated the situation with the Omicron variant.

The Australian government has now said it would reopen today, December 15, but Delezio has continued to receive conflicting information from the authorities there, making it even harder for her to finalise any plans. She is also still waiting for her working holiday visa to be extended for a second year.

“I’m not a tourist, I don’t want to go back to visit the Opera House. All we want is to be reunited... love is not tourism,” she told Times of Malta.

“If need be, I am ready to travel with the PPE suit, get tested at every arrival, I don’t care what it takes. I will take that over the number of sleepless nights, missed moments, time difference, panic attacks and the amount of anxiety this has caused us all,” the 28-year-old said.

Delezio had been living in Australia with a temporary visa when the first cases of COVID-19 were detected. She recalled how, at the time, with both the Australian and Maltese governments urging people to return home, she felt she had little choice over the matter.

“There was not going to be any financial help for those who stayed and, God forbid, something bad had to happen, we doubted there would be any medical help,” she explained.

“So, at the time, with all the information we had in hand, the decision was taken to leave Australia and come back home. Everyone had the impression that this will be all over in a couple of months.”

The day she left Australia in April 2020, the country had already implemented stringent COVID-19 rules, meaning her partner, Junior Pakau, was not even allowed to accompany her to the check-in desk.

Instead, with hopes of reuniting soon, the couple said their goodbyes outside in the airport parking area.

“Seeing all those couples crying and holding each other was very emotional, you can’t even imagine how sad all that was to see and be part of,” she said.

'Thousands of euros to seek exemptions'

Since that day, Delezio has been relentlessly trying to return to Australia, spending thousands of euros to seek exemptions, consult lawyers, apply for visas and purchase potential flights.

And, although her 34-year-old partner is allowed to travel to Malta, he is unable to visit as he is his elderly parents’ sole caregiver. The couple also fear he might be unable to return home if borders are abruptly shut while visiting Malta.

They have yet to celebrate a birthday together and both their anniversaries have been marked via video chat, Delezio said.

Earlier this month, they were hopeful they might be able to reunite in time for Christmas after the Australian authorities said borders for people like Delezio would reopen on December 1. But this was again postponed because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

“During this time, I had two rejections on my request for an exemption to enter Australia. We don’t know why this happened. Both my partner and I had to also provide tons of proof that we are in a genuine relationship, seeking help from our friends and family to provide their version of our relationship.

“We feel that we are being robbed of our future. We constantly imagine what our future would look like... having our own home and little family. Yet, I am still in Malta and he is in Australia and these plans are all just up in the air.”