Thousands of Afghans flocked to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to escape the country after coalition forces pulled out.Credit:Noor Mohammad Ramazan
The Department of Home Affairs has received more than 32,500 applications for the humanitarian program from Afghan nationals on behalf of more than 145,000 individuals as the nation faced an economic and humanitarian catastrophe following the withdrawal of the US-led coalition in August after 20 years in the region.
But the Morrison government’s move was labelled “mean and tricky” by the Reverend Tim Costello,of the Christians United for Afghanistan campaign,for trying to distract from Australia’s “disappointing” humanitarian response.
“The Morrison government’s inadequate humanitarian response is a stain on our nation. This isn’t a compassionate response,” he said. “It’s just more... spin to disguise the Morrison’s government’s complete inaction.”
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The policy announcement came an hour after the release of a damning consensus report from the Senate’s Foreign Affairs,Defence and Trade committee – which involved several government members – that said the government had failed to support thousands of interpreters and other Afghans who risked their lives in the service of the Australian Defence Forces.
The report made eight recommendations,including that the government extend all available efforts to finalise visa applications for Afghan locally engaged employees and their families as quickly as possible and extending assistance to those still eligible in Afghanistan to make their way to Australia.
“The question of how we treated those who risked all to help us in Afghanistan relates to who we are as Australians and what we value. We asked these people to stand in harm’s way with Australian personnel. We have left them standing in harm’s way,” said the report of the committee chaired by Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.