Recommendations
Contents
Special intake of 20,000 humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals
The Australian Government should allocate a special intake of 20,000 humanitarian visas over two years for Afghan nationals in addition to the regular Humanitarian Program intake.
Urgently send acknowledgement letters
The Department of Home Affairs should urgently provide acknowledgement letters to all applicants from Afghanistan, including their reference number, to assist with ongoing processing and communication.
Publish priority criteria for Afghan humanitarian applications
The Department of Home Affairs should urgently publish their criteria and guidelines for prioritisation of humanitarian visas for the Afghan cohort, in order to assess applications and their representatives and provide for realistic expectations as to the likelihood of success.
End the ban on resettlement for refugees in Indonesia
The Australian Government should end the ban that prevents refugees in Indonesia who registered with UNHCR after 30 June 2014 from accessing resettlement.
Facilitate and expedite Partner visa applications
The Department of Home Affairs should prioritise processing partner visas for Afghan nationals and facilitate identity and medical assessments in order to support applicants to meet these requirements.
Urgently invite evacuees on 449 visas to apply for a subsequent visa and extend application timelines
The Department of Home Affairs should prioritise inviting those on 449 visas to apply for a subsequent visa, and extend the timeline that people have to submit the application.
Assess humanitarian visa applications on the papers
The Department of Home Affairs should assess all humanitarian applications from 449 holders on the papers and only interview people where applications are lacking in sufficient detail.
Urgently grant overseas split family members of evacuees 449 visas to facilitate visa application processes
The Department of Home Affairs should urgently identify any overseas split family members of evacuees in Australia and grant them a 449 visa in order to facilitate visa applications to ensure family unity.
Provide a 12-month rental subsidy to new arrivals
The Australian Government should provide a 12-month rental subsidy to new arrivals to support people into private accommodation.
Strategically engage the diaspora in Australia
Noting the up-to-date information outlined about the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, the Australian Government should engage Afghan diaspora members in Australia to provide insights and advice on what is happening in the region and how Australia can strengthen its role and response.
