Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My family was blessed to find refuge in Australia after our homeland was torn apart by war. I know too well the deep scars that conflict leaves on people's lives. Last week, we reflected on a moment that profoundly impacted my community. Three years ago, Kabul fell to the Taliban, leading to the collapse of Afghanistan's republican government. In the weeks that followed, Australia and other coalition partners worked to evacuate over 123,000 people from Kabul airport. Watching those desperate scenes, as people scrambled onto flights to safety, left me in tears. Countless others were not as fortunate and were left behind, forced to make the dangerous journey into Pakistan or Iran.

Every day I hear from families in my community with loved ones whose lives remain in limbo, denied the right to work or study. For those who supported democracy, returning to Afghanistan means facing arrest or even death. As we commemorate this occasion, let us thank the men and women of the ADF who helped evacuate Kabul and let us remember those left behind, enduring the harsh realities of the Taliban rule.