There's a popular Japanese streamer who had a whole mental breakdown character arc since she was studying abroad in Australia and couldn't go home for a year or two because they wouldn't let her back in if she did.

And being in Melbourne she couldn't leave the house for some of that either.

I assume you mean that Australia wouldn't let her back in. Japan never closed the borders to citizens.

They did make it annoying to come back, however. Several different friends had to do long quarantines in not-great facilities.

Right, if she wanted to finish school she couldn't leave Australia.

Doing a return quarantaine a little while later convinced me I would not do well in prison.