Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question as to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration, Senator Cash. Minister, there are a large number of people in Afghanistan who were issued 449 visas by the immigration minister during the fall of Kabul. These visas were of three months duration and are about to start expiring. DFAT advice during the fall of Kabul and since has been that Afghan nationals in Afghanistan who hold Australian visas should not attempt to leave Afghanistan due to the dangers of such a journey. Many who chose to ignore that advice are now safely in Australia. But those who followed the DFAT advice and stayed in Afghanistan are watching their visas run down, and all your government is doing is advising them to apply for other classes of visa. The 449 visas represent a lifeline for people in danger—a lifeline that you cannot in conscience snatch away. Will the minister do the right thing and extend those 449 visas and preserve the lifeline of safety from the Taliban that was offered three months ago?