Australia’s Responsibility: Prioritizing Humanitarian Visas for Afghan Refugees

Australia Should Prioritize Humanitarian Visas for Afghans

An Urgent Call for Greater Flexibility in Processing Applications

This week marks the two-year anniversary since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Coinciding with this anniversary, the Australian federal government has announced an increase in its humanitarian visa intake from 17,875 to 20,000 refugees. The synchronization of these two events calls for reflection on how Australia‘s humanitarian visa program is supporting people trying to flee Afghanistan and, more importantly, how it can do better.

Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has plunged into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in the past two years. Two-thirds of its population face hunger, and at least three million children suffer from acute malnutrition. The country also experiences one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates, with thousands of women dying from preventable pregnancy-related causes. Furthermore, since the Taliban seized control of the country on August 15, 2021, women and girls have been denied their rights to education, work, movement, and peaceful assembly, while the remaining Afghan media is subject to extensive censorship. The situation has worsened for journalists and critics, with an increasing number of them being imprisoned.

The Need for Flexibility

If the goal is to rescue the most vulnerable, refugee resettlement programs need flexibility and innovation to adapt to challenging circumstances. The more difficult the circumstances, the greater the need for administrative flexibility.

Earlier this year, the Home Affairs Department confirmed that humanitarian visa applications for people in Afghanistan are not being processed due to obstacles imposed by the Taliban authorities who are persecuting them. Additionally, the Law Council of Australia has reported that Afghan applicants are being refused humanitarian visas due to Australia‘s inadequate capacity to process their applications, despite meeting all other criteria. While health and security checks are necessary, unusual circumstances call for a reduction in administrative barriers.

The Allocation of Humanitarian Visas

In 2021, the Australian government allocated 26,500 humanitarian visa places for Afghan refugees over the following five years. As of May this year, almost half of these places had been granted, while applications reached over 40,000. Given the rate of applications, available places will fall far short of meeting the urgent need.

Australia has demonstrated its ability to find solutions and act quickly when it has the will. With Afghanistan’s human rights and humanitarian crisis deteriorating, the government must streamline the visa application process and prioritize the processing of humanitarian visas for those desperate to flee. Additionally, it should be ready to increase the overall allocation of humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals. Only then can Australia properly fulfill its responsibility to help the most vulnerable.

Conclusion

Australia has a moral obligation to support Afghan refugees in their desperate attempts to escape the dire situation in their home country. The humanitarian visa program must be more flexible to address the challenges imposed by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The government should prioritize processing humanitarian visas, reduce administrative barriers, and potentially increase the overall allocation of visas to meet the growing need. By doing so, Australia can provide a pathway to safety and refuge for those fleeing persecution and protect the most vulnerable.