Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to Senator Birmingham, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Yesterday we saw reports of hundreds of former Australian embassy guards and their families left standing in sewage for hours outside Kabul airport. Glenn Kolomeitz, a former ADF officer, now lawyer, has said that Afghans attempting to flee Kabul who have been issued Australian electronic visas are 'being turned away by ADF people because they don't have a hard copy visa in their passports'. Are reports that Afghans with Australian visas are being turned away at the airport by Australian officials true?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I thank Senator Wong for her question. While I can't speak to every incident that is happening at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul given the very challenging and difficult circumstances that many people across many nations are operating under there, I can assure that, in terms of people who make contact with Australian officials and have proof of contact and proof of some engagement with Australia, every effort is being made not only to process them in terms of boarding and recognising visas that may have been issued but also to ensure that those who do not have a valid visa are supported through the processes on the spot with emergency contacts being made to seek to provide them with such visas.

Of course, the security situation around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is incredibly challenging. There are multiple checkpoints being enforced by the Taliban and there are then clearances to access the airport perimeter itself. Were there to be incidences at any of those they may not be entirely known to all of us, but I do assure the Senate and all Australians that Australian officials on the ground are turning around visa applications, visa requests or even those without an application as quickly as they can to get them out of Kabul and to safety. That indeed is what has got us into the situation now where we've seen Australia help airlift more than 2,600 people on 22 flights out of Afghanistan. The vast majority of those are Afghan citizens who we're supporting with visas and, also importantly, Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and family members of those individuals. That's the work that our people on the ground are doing. They're doing it heroically in the most trying of circumstances, and we owe them all a huge debt of gratitude. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] When asked why the ADF were turning people away, Mr Kolomeitz replied:

… these directions have come from DFAT—who knows where in DFAT. But, look, there's a breakdown in communications here, not just between the ADF and DFAT but between DFAT and DFAT—Canberra and Kabul—and that is going to cost lives …

Have these directions come from DFAT? If yes, who issued the directive and why?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] As I said in response to the primary question, our officials on the ground—DFAT officials working alongside Home Affairs officials who issue and process the visas—are not only doing their utmost to ensure that anybody who has any type of Australian visa is able to board and depart Kabul; they are also responding very clearly to other individuals who have connections to Australia and reasons to want to seek claim, and they are working as quickly as they can to find appropriate humanitarian visas that can be issued in emergency circumstances to be able to expedite those people's departure from Kabul. We've indeed seen 950 people uplifted overnight.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Keneally, on a point of order?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order goes to direct relevance. It was a very specific question: have the directions come from DFAT and, if yes, who issued them and why?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm listening carefully to the minister's answer. You've reminded him of it. I'm reluctant to rule the material he's dealing with is not directly relevant, but I've let you remind him of it and he has 15 seconds remaining to turn to that part of the question.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Mr President, I'm not accepting the assertion that there are directions that are turning people away. In fact, I'm making very clear that every effort is being made to accommodate people in their unique circumstances and to try to help them from Kabul as expeditiously as possible.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a final supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] How many Australian citizens, residents and visa holders remain stranded in Afghanistan?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] We know that people continue to register. It may seem a surprising thing that individuals would not have made known their presence in Afghanistan long before this last little while, but registration is something that we have seen continue during this evacuation process. What we are doing is working to move through those we can help as quickly as possible. That means helping all whom we can help of those who make it through to Hamid Karzai airport, working with the officials from the many nations, particularly the United States, who are helping with security operations, including the targeted assistance outside the airport perimeter, and making sure that, as a nation, we are lending assistance to others as we would hope they would lend assistance to us. To have had 2,650 people in the 22 flights stood up at such short notice is no mean feat. We extend all our thanks and gratitude to the officials and the personnel—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Birmingham! Senator Paterson.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on the progress of Australia's evacuation operation in Afghanistan?

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

I thank Senator Paterson for his question. The government's immediate focus is the evacuation from Kabul of Australians and their families and of Afghans with Australian visas. The scenes that we continue to see in Afghanistan are highly distressing and our thoughts are with the Afghan people. The National Security Committee of cabinet continues to meet every day on this matter. As the Leader of the Government in the Senate has indicated, our officials are working tirelessly on the evacuation, which is moving hundreds of people from Afghanistan every day. I want to thank those senators and members and advocates who are doing the same thing to support so many people in Afghanistan.

In recent days, we have been able to run about four flights per 24-hour period. Last night five Australian ADF flights carried approximately 955 people, which brings to approximately 2,650 the total number of people evacuated since 18 August. This includes Australian and New Zealand nationals, visa holders and citizens of other nations with whom we are cooperating. The government reiterates our thanks to the officials involved, including those from my Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Home Affairs. Each person evacuated is a demonstration of their dedication.

There are very difficult scenes outside Hamid Karzai International Airport. People, including women and children, are waiting for days amongst crowds numbering in the thousands. Our officials are using every means possible to assist Australian citizens and visa holders—phoning and emailing directly, as well as providing regular updates on Smartraveller. Australia continues to work with partners across all aspects of the operation, and we thank them for their cooperation.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on the role of Al Minhad Air Base in this evacuation?

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

Australia's longstanding presence at Al Minhad Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates, has served as a vital support for our military presence in Afghanistan, and it is now serving a vital role in evacuating Australians and Afghan visa holders. I want to acknowledge and thank the government of the United Arab Emirates for their support and cooperation in this evacuation process. The ADF has deployed more than 250 personnel and five aircraft to Al Minhad to carry out the evacuation operation.

We have put significant plans in place for the health and welfare of evacuees, including the deployment of an AUSMAT team, which is due to arrive today. We are very conscious of the traumatic experiences, fear and desperation of many who are travelling to our facilities at Al Minhad.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a final supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on the progress of operations to return evacuees to Australia?

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

I thank Senator Paterson again for this question. Al Minhad's capacity has been expanded to accommodate these evacuees ahead of their transfer to Australia. Once the evacuees have been settled and processed for immigration requirements and are ready to continue to their travel, they will be travelling on planes chartered by Defence to Australia.

I do want to thank the states and territories that are contributing to Australia's response by receiving evacuees. Last night, 148 evacuees arrived on a charter flight to Perth and Adelaide, bringing the total number returned to Australia since 18 August to 419. Over the coming days, we will have regular flights into capitals around the country as these Australians and Afghans with Australian visas arrive. Our thoughts are with them as they deal with the trauma of these experiences, and we warmly welcome them to our nation.