Afghanistan

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (17:05): I seek leave to move Notice of Motion No. 7 standing in my name in an amended form.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I move:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the more than 26,000 Australians who served in Afghanistan and mourns the ultimate sacrifice 41 Australian soldiers made while serving our countries;

2. Supports the people of Afghanistan during this difficult time and acknowledges the sacrifices made by many Afghan people over the last 20 years working with Australian and NATO partners to help free Afghanistan from the Taliban;

3. Supports and commits to work with the local Afghan community of South Australia and provide assistance where appropriate;

4. Calls on the Morrison government to implement the following actions:

(a) immediately grant all Afghan nationals who are already in Australia on Safe Haven Enterprise visas (SHEVs) and Temporary Protection visas (TPVs) a path to permanent residency and ultimately Australian citizenship;

(b) subject to all necessary security and health checks facilitate migration to Australia of Afghan residents (including their families) who have worked with or assisted Australian Defence Forces or consular personnel in Afghanistan, in recognition of their service to Australia;

(c) immediately announce a humanitarian refugee visa program for Afghan ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras and advocates for women’s rights and human rights, journalists and other activists at risk due to Taliban rule; and

(d) prioritise and increase the number of Australian family reunion visas for Afghan Australians.

It is hard to describe the trauma being experienced by thousands of Australians of Afghan heritage at this time. The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking. Thousands of people are trying to escape the country, desperate to flee the Taliban. Many Afghan Australians escaped here because of firsthand experiences of the horrors of the Taliban. They escaped here to save their lives, but they are now witnessing their spouses, their children, their parents, their friends being stranded in Afghanistan and desperately trying to flee.

We have all seen the images of packed aeroplanes, people crowding to get on and not making it. We have heard direct accounts of beatings, reports of women being forced out of work and education, reports of random executions. Afghan people who assisted the allied forces in any way are particularly at risk. These are people who worked with Australian forces to help free Afghanistan from the Taliban, people who helped to uphold democracy. Ethnic minority groups, including the Hazara people, are also in particular danger, as are advocates for women's rights and human rights, journalists and other activists.

We have heard many tragic stories. Razia is a citizen who fled the Taliban 14 years ago. Her sister and mother are alone in Kabul, unable to even leave the house now and get food. The Taliban are back, driving around their district looking for women. Razia's mum and sister are only in Afghanistan as they have been waiting for over four years for the Morrison Liberal government to process their visas.

Abdul is an Australian citizen. He is in Kabul with his pregnant wife and their two-year-old Australian child. He is only in Afghanistan because he has been waiting for three years—three years—for the Morrison Liberal government to process his wife's visa. He eventually had his visa granted, but has been beaten while trying to get to the airport to leave.

Here in Australia there are more than 4,200 people who have been deemed to be genuine refugees but have no path to permanent residency and ultimately to Australian citizenship because they are on temporary protection visas. Some of them have been on these temporary visas for years, which means they have a permanent fear of being sent back to Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister and the foreign minister have said that no-one will be sent to Afghanistan 'at this time'. These comments are welcome, but they are not enough. Saying 'at this time' is not enough. Saying 'at this time' is not certainty for people who fear for their lives if they are sent back.

Australians have a proud record of compassion and welcoming those in peril. People who are already here, who have been deemed already to be safe and appropriately residing in Australia, should be able to access permanent residency and then citizenship. They are already assessed as genuine refugees. They have nowhere else to go. As the Leader of the Opposition said this week: it is our collective responsibility to put pressure on the decision-makers in Canberra who can help this cause.

Our Afghan community in South Australia is around 8,000 people, with more than 300 in the Limestone Coast. Many live in and around Bordertown and Naracoorte, and both towns held vigils last weekend for the terrible situation we are seeing in Afghanistan. I commend everyone involved in those vigils. Well done. They are important shows of support for our Afghan community locally, and they complement the vigil that was held in Adelaide on Saturday which was attended by many, including the Leader of the Opposition.

We also honour our veterans, the 26,000 Australians who served in Afghanistan, and the families and communities that support them. This is an incredibly difficult time for many of them also, and we mourn the 41 Australian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our countries.

Statements of support are important, but actions are vital. That is why we are calling on the Morrison government to immediately take action to support Afghan Australians and their families. Their fears are real. Our responses should be genuine. They deserve no less.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.