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‘Save our families’ By Cam Lucadou-Wells Afghan-Australians in the South East are pleading for loved-ones to be saved from the Taliban-overthrowing of Afghanistan. Barat Batoor, a photo-journalist who fled for his life from Afghanistan in 2012, works as an organiser for Asylum Seeker Resouce Centre. He said the looming humanitarian crisis was “devastating” for Australian Hazaras – the fourth largest diaspora in the world with many of them in Melbourne’s South East. “There are thousands of people in the Australian community who have family members at grave risk right now from the Taliban. “The news came as a big shock. I haven’t slept properly for the last couple of nights. “That stress and anxiety in the Hazara community is at unprecedented levels.” Kabul’s international airport has been swarmed by desperate masses pleading to be saved by foreign governments. According to one of Mr Batoor’s friends “on the ground” in Kabul, people were feeling afraid. They were not placated by the Taliban’s declaration that it would not harm anyone, Mr Batoor said. “I think this announcement was just a mask that will come off in the next days and weeks. “They have started searching houses looking for people like political figures, social activists and pilots. “This is the calm before the storm.” The overthrow has sparked painful memories of the Taliban rule in the 1990s, Mr Batoor said. Many Afghan Australians themselves had fled past “unimaginable” massacres and genocides inflicted on Hazara, Hindus and Sikhs. Visa applications for partners and family to unite with Hazaras in Australia have languished for up to a decade. This is due to a 2010 ministerial direction
Zahra Haydar Big, an Afghan women’s leader from Goulburn Valley. that applications from ‘illegal boat arrivals’ later found to be genuine refugees and granted permanent residency - were to be given the “lowest priority”. Their family members are now trapped in Afghanistan at the mercy of the Taliban. Mr Batoor was “very disappointed” by the Australian Government’s response so far – at least 3000 humanitarian visas offered and 240 Australian citizens and Afghan nationals evacuated as of 21 August. His call for 20,000 extra places for Hazara resettlement has been backed for an 129,000plus online petition by Afghan Australian Advocacy Network.
“We have a moral obligation and practical obligation to help these people,” Mr Batoor said. “We shouldn’t be surprised that the Taliban may carry on other mass atrocities in the coming days and weeks and the world may witness another genocide of the minorities such as the Hazaras who have already experienced this in the past.” On 18 August, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the 3000 humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals was nearly double the number last year, he said. About 1800 who had helped the government have been resettled with their families in Aus-
tralia since 2013 – including 430 since April. “You would have heard other countries talk about figures of 5000, I note that some are talking about figures of 20,000 but can I tell you there are no clear plans about that. “Australia is not going into that territory.” The first RAAF evacuation on 18 August rescued 26 Australian citizens and Afghan nationals, who have since arrived in Perth. Three subsequent flights saved another 216, as of 20 August. “We will be supporting Afghans who have legitimate claims through our official and legitimate processes,” Mr Morrison said. Continued page 4
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