Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for her question. As you are aware, Senator, through you Mr President, this program has been underway since 2012. A special humanitarian visa program has seen over 1,400 visas offered since the program began. Referring to your more recent questions in relation to the last period of time, we have granted over 186 visas since April this year, so in the last six or seven weeks. It is absolutely a priority for the Australian government to support those locally engaged employees who have supported Australia's mission in Afghanistan, as you have said. Many of them have given an enormous amount, and they have worked under very difficult circumstances. We are working swiftly across agencies—it involves the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Defence and the Department of Home Affairs—to ensure that each case is considered. Those who are at risk of harm and who meet the visa requirements are resettled to Australia as soon as possible. In terms of the transport and movement of those applicants who are successful, the International Organization for Migration, the IOM, and the Australian departments and agencies work to both transport and assist those Afghanis who assisted us.