Australia Must Provide Safe Passage for Afghans

Australia Must Provide Safe Passage for Afghans

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URGENT 27/08/2021: Following the devastating explosions in Kabul, the Australian government must redouble their resettlement efforts. Australia has so far failed to commit to any additional places in the humanitarian program for people fleeing the Taliban, in stark contrast to compassionate commitments from the US, Canada, and the UK.Sydney based lawyer and former Hazara refugee Sayed Hussainizada says ''Now is the time for the Australian Government to step up, not step down".

In recent days, thousands of compassionate Australians have spoken out and called on the Australian Government to provide safe passage for people fleeing the Taliban ...

URGENT 27/08/2021: Following the devastating explosions in Kabul, the Australian government must redouble their resettlement efforts. Australia has so far failed to commit to any additional places in the humanitarian program for people fleeing the Taliban, in stark contrast to compassionate commitments from the US, Canada, and the UK.Sydney based lawyer and former Hazara refugee Sayed Hussainizada says ''Now is the time for the Australian Government to step up, not step down".

In recent days, thousands of compassionate Australians have spoken out and called on the Australian Government to provide safe passage for people fleeing the Taliban.

The Australian Government has so far ignored those calls. 

They have refused to grant people from Afghanistan in Australia permanent protection visas. While Canada and the UK have offered to resettle 20,000 refugees, they have stayed silent. 

They need as much pressure put on them as possible. You can make a difference by emailing your local MP and calling on the Australian Government to provide safe passage to people fleeing the Taliban. 

This includes by urgently expanding the humanitarian program and:

  • Granting permanent protection to all Afghan nationals in Australia on temporary protection visas,

  • Expanding the humanitarian intake - just as they did for people fleeing Syria in 2015, and

  • Reforming the community sponsorship programs so that people across Australia can welcome Afghans into their communities.

Take action today and email your Representative calling for the Australian Government to provide safe passage to those fleeing the Taliban.

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FOLLOW UP WITH A PHONE CALL

Thank you for emailing your political representatives!

There’s one more thing you can do - call your local MP. The call will take less than 5 minutes, and it will show them that their are local people, who live in their electorate, who want them to take action. 

 

Here are some tips and talking points for you:

 

When the phone is answered state your name, the suburb you live in to show them that you’re a local constituent , and explain that you are calling to pass a message onto your MP about the crisis in Afghanistan.


Then clearly state that you want your MP to:

  • Support expanding the humanitarian intake to include people fleeing the Taliban

The government did this in 2015 when they offered 12,000 ...

Here are some tips and talking points for you:

 

When the phone is answered state your name, the suburb you live in to show them that you’re a local constituent , and explain that you are calling to pass a message onto your MP about the crisis in Afghanistan.


Then clearly state that you want your MP to:

  • Support expanding the humanitarian intake to include people fleeing the Taliban

The government did this in 2015 when they offered 12,000 additional places in the humanitarian program for Syrian and Iraqi refugees. This offer should match commitments made by the Canadian and UK Governments of 20,000 additional places. 

  • Grant permanent protection visas to all people from Afghanistan in Australia 

More than 4,200 Afghan nationals are living in Australia on temporary protection visas. The government has said that none of these people will be returned to Afghanistan “at this stage.” The Government must give these people the assurance that they will not be returned to danger, and grant them permanent protection visas.

  • Reform the community sponsorship program so that people across Australia can welcome Afghans into their community.

Australia’s community sponsorship program should allow Australians to sponsor a refugee to resettle safely in Australia, but the current program is slow and expensive. Reforming the program could allow willing communities in Australia to sponsor families and individuals, providing safe passage to Afghans fleeing the Taliban.

 

Thank them for passing on the message and hang up.

 

Done!  You’ve let your MP know that there are local constituents in their electorate who are willing to pick up the phone,

Make your call count, tell us how it went

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