#Action for Afghanistan
A petition signed by over 189,000 Australians calling on @ScottMorrisonMP and @AlexHawkeMP to take #ActionforAfghanistan was tabled in Parliament by Rebekha Sharkie MP, calling for 20,000 additional humanitarian visas for those at risk for the vulnerable persecuted people of Afghanistan, similar to Canada’s announcement on 14 August 2021 accepting 20,000 people of Afghanistan as refugees, and similar to Australia’s response to the Syrian conflict in 2015 in accepting 12,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees.
Next steps:
* Expedite the resettlement of interpreters, guides and other personnel involved in Australia’s mission in Afghanistan.
* Grant permanent protection to more than 5,100 refugees from Afghanistan, predominantly from the historically persecuted Hazara ethnic groups, who are currently on temporary protection visas in Australia.
* Grant amnesty to all nationals of Afghanistan currently in Australia who fear returning to Afghanistan.
* Prioritise the family reunification visas of Afghanistan-Australians, including those who are prevented from reuniting with their families due to a government ministerial directive that requires the Department of Home Affairs to deprioritise family reunion of hundreds of people from Afghanistan living in Australia.
* Lift the ban on resettlement of refugees to Australia through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia, a ban which has been in place since 2014. This ban continues to limit resettlement options for 10,000 refugees from Afghanistan awaiting safety and protection.