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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-08-25 Daily Xml
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Afghanistan

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Human Services a question concerning state government support for the South Australian Afghan community.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: My office has received emails and phone calls from approximately 120 individuals who are concerned about the safety of family members in Afghanistan. Many, understandably, have been in a very distressed state. Some examples of these are people requiring one-on-one support in making visa applications and some needing emotional support. Examples have been given to this office of people not eating and having panic attacks, some needing one-on-one assistance to navigate the complexities of the system, including obtaining feedback after a visa application is lodged, and others missing work to complete the visa application.

I have allocated one person in my very small office full time to address this high priority constituent concern. My office has liaised with staff in the offices of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the shadow minister. My office has provided the limited comfort of forwarding their visa application details to the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs with a statement of support.

Many individuals have advised my office that they are confused by the visa application process and have received very little or no guidance when they eventually get through to an operator on the hotline number provided. This has left our Afghan community feeling overwhelmed and lost as to where to turn for assistance. We are providing what support we can in the circumstances.

I am aware that the Premier in the other place has made a statement calling on all South Australians to show compassion, reach out with their hearts and support those in our community who have been impacted by this conflict. My question to the Minister for Human Services is: can the minister indicate what South Australian government services specifically are being provided to understandably very distressed members of the Afghan community worried about the circumstances of loved ones in Afghanistan?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question. I will do my best to attempt to answer it. Some of it sits outside of my portfolio and I think we should probably make sure that we are getting some government assistance to support him with his queries.

In terms of what my Department of Human Services has been involved in, I have been briefed that there is a cross-government—it is not just state government but includes the federal government as well. So the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, health, human services and one of the federal government agencies—which one it is exactly escapes me at the moment—have been working in terms of the new, recently arrived people from Afghanistan, to provide support and assistance.

Human services in South Australia has been providing translator assistance to those people, who clearly are required to quarantine and are under the care, if you like, of health. There are also non-government organisations that are able to assist, which include Red Cross, the AMRC and a range of those other organisations.

I think the pain point, if I can describe it as that, that the honourable member is describing is probably assistance with people who are overseas who need assistance with visa applications. With that specific issue, we will work out who the most appropriate support agency is and make contact with his office to assist them.

I should say, in terms of the people who are arriving at the moment, we are not sure, and I don't think the Australian government is sure at this stage, whether they will be settling in South Australia, so it's the immediate quarantine needs that we are addressing. I think things are a moving feast at the moment in terms of what their needs are going forward, so all agencies are on deck to help.

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