AUSTRALIA’S RESPONSE TO REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN
The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on 30 August 2021 has brought the 20-year war in Afghanistan to an end. However, the nature of the exit and the sudden return to power of the Taliban raises concerns for the fate of Afghan civilians, particularly women and girls, and those who have worked alongside Western presence during the war. While over 123,000 civilians were airlifted out of Afghanistan by the US and coalition partners in August 2021, many who had hoped to leave remain behind. This Explainer sets out the Australian government’s involvement in Afghanistan and its response to people fleeing Afghanistan.
What was Australia’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan?
The US went to war in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York; a number of countries, including Australia, joined the US to form a coalition force in Afghanistan. Its mission was to defeat Al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.
During the 20 years of military presence in Afghanistan, Australia committed 39,000 Australian Defence Force personnel and lost 41 lives. An Australian inquiry, known as the Brereton Report, was set up to look into war crimes allegedly committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.
On 15 April 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would withdraw the last remaining troops in Afghanistan, after gradually reducing its military presence over the past few years. On 28 May 2021, Australia closed its embassy in Kabul.
More information on Afghanistan as a country of origin is available here.
What did Australia do to support the evacuation from Afghanistan?
With the return of the Taliban, the Australian military assisted in airlifting more than 4,000 people from Kabul airport before ceasing its evacuation mission. This number includes over 3,200 Australians and Afghan nationals with Australian visas, as well as people airlifted on behalf of coalition partners. In the wake of the deadline for withdrawal of US troops, Australia, along with 100 other countries, issued a Joint Statement on Evacuation Travel Assurances. The statement outlines the signing countries’ commitments to allow travel from Afghanistan, and the Taliban’s assurances to allow safe and orderly departure beyond the 30 August troop withdrawal deadline.
On the 18 August, 2021, the Australian government committed to permanently resettle 3,000 Afghan nationals. However, this number is reserved within, and not in addition to, the 13,750 annual cap in places for Australia’s humanitarian program. The government anticipates this number to grow over the course of the year. At the same time, the Australian government is warning Afghan nationals not to come to Australia by boat as they will not be resettled.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, locally engaged employees (LEEs) who have been certified as at risk of harm due to their employment supporting Australia’s mission in Afghanistan are prioritised. Certification of this risk is issued by the applicant’s employer and must meet certain criteria.
The Australian government has formed an Advisory Panel on Australia’s Resettlement of Afghan Nationals to support evacuees from Afghanistan as they ‘settle into Australian life’.
How has Australia’s response been received?
Australia’s response has been compared to commitments made by other countries, such as the UK’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees and Canada’s commitment to resettle 40,000.
The current response has also been compared to former Australian government efforts, such as the additional 12,000 places that were offered to Syrian refugees in 2015, and Australia’s response to the end of the Vietnam war.
There have been calls for Australia to be more generous in the number of visas it is offering to Afghan nationals. A petition to the Australian government, signed by over 100,000 academics, leaders and lawyers, urges the government to create 20,000 places for Afghan nations, in line with the UK and Canada’s response.
The Australian Human Rights Commission and a wide range of advocacy organisations have also urged the government to grant permanent protection to all TPV and SHEV holders in Australia.
What has Australia done for refugees from Afghanistan?
Refugees from Afghanistan have long been seeking asylum in Australia. They have done so onshore, for example, arriving by boat, as well as offshore, through resettlement via Australia’s humanitarian visa options (through a Refugee Visa or a Global Special Humanitarian Visa).
For much of the past decade, Afghanistan has been in the top three source countries for people seeking asylum in Australia onshore, and in the top five source countries for visa recipients under Australia’s offshore humanitarian program. Since 2013, over 8,500 visas have been granted to Afghan nationals under the humanitarian program, including more than 1,800 visas granted to LEEs
Those arriving by boat in Australia have been subject to immigration detention. As of August 2021, there were 55 Afghans in Australian immigration detention facilities and approximately 4,000 Afghans in Australia who hold Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs). Many of the Afghan nationals on TPVs or SHEVs are part of what is described as Australia’s ‘Legacy Caseload’.
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Last updated 05 October 2021