Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] I have a wonderful Afghan community in my electorate. In fact, I have one of the largest populations of Afghans in South Australia in the electorate of Adelaide. It's a very close-knit community and it's been rocked these past few months by the unfolding crisis that's taking place in Kabul and in other parts of Afghanistan. They are all extremely worried for their family members and relatives. The wider Adelaide community and, indeed, all of Australia are concerned and have rallied behind the Afghan community in the last couple of months.

A fundraiser was held in Adelaide in early September, which was basically organised by Durkhanai Ayubi, who runs the Parwana restaurant, to raise funds to assist some of these people. It was a very successful fundraiser. The demand to attend this fundraiser was so great that it had to be extended over two nights. There was an overwhelming feeling that we all stand behind the Afghan community in South Australia. My electorate office has tried to help many of them. We've been inundated by requests to help relatives who are in danger. We've managed to help some through the minister's office, and I must say that the minister's office has been magnificent in assisting us. There are so many people who are desperate to get their relatives and loved ones out of a country that is so much in crisis. We're doing all we can do to push the government to process urgent family reunion applications for relatives who are particularly at risk. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is devastating on many levels—in particular, the current and future welfare of women and girls in Afghanistan, who now face the prospect of a cruel, brutal regime.

Durkhanai Ayubi and the Australian Local Government Women's Association of South Australia have approached me with a sense of helplessness. They're doing all that they can. I wrote to Prime Minister to call for an intervention to ensure the safe evacuation of Afghan women and children. As I said, the minister's office has been very, very receptive in assisting where they can.

According to the UN refugee agency, 80 per cent of the thousands of people fleeing to safety are women and children. So, today, in these uncertain times, we must do more. Australians are a compassionate and understanding nation. In this situation, there is no time for politics on tough borders. This is a time it help, and we should open our arms up to people fleeing Afghanistan, to people who helped Australians during the war over there. I have to say that Australians know when they need to step up; we've done it in the past with the Syrian refugee crisis and we've done it in the past with many other things. So I'm calling on the ministers and the Prime Minister to do everything they can to assist the people of Afghanistan: we haven't got time to waste.

See this speech in context