SA Government ready and willing to help more Afghan refugees looking for a new start in Australia
SA is prepared to do “everything it can” to help Afghan refugees, including accepting more arrivals into quarantine above quota, Premier Steven Marshall says.
SA News
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South Australian Premier Steven Marshall says the state government will do “everything it can” to help Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover, including accepting more arrivals into quarantine, above the quota.
The promise came as the first 89 Afghan arrivals to Adelaide were cleared from their mandatory 14-day quarantine yesterday and Wednesday.
More than 400 of the 3500 people evacuated from Afghanistan to Australia in the past three weeks have been quarantining in Adelaide.
Some are humanitarian visa holders who will settle in SA and interstate.
Mr Marshall said the state had been “very forward leaning” in its willingness to assist and had offered “additional hotel quarantine places above our cap in South Australia” to the federal government.
The current weekly international arrival cap for SA, set by the commonwealth, is 265.
There are 1000 rooms in SA medi-hotels for domestic and overseas travellers, people who test positive for Covid-19, and close contacts of positive cases.
SA Health was unable to provide the current occupancy rate.
Calls are now escalating for the federal government to follow Canada’s lead and boost humanitarian places for Afghans to 20,000 as the situation continues to deteriorate following the formation of a hard-line Taliban ministry this week.
The government has said it would increase the 3000 humanitarian places allocated for Afghans, and increase the total quota of 13,750 humanitarian visas for 2021-22. That was cut from 18,750 in last year’s budget.
The government said priority would be given to people with family already in Australia, women and girls, children and persecuted minorities such as Hazaras.
SA Afghan community advocate Fahim Hashimy said many more Afghans, especially those at risk, such as men and women who assisted the international forces and Australian and previous Afghan governments, needed immediate evacuation.
Mr Hashimy said the current Australian government humanitarian place quota was “not enough” and needed at least 17,000 more places.
He also said Afghans – some waiting up to 13 years for visa processing in Australia and offshore – needed to be dealt with ASAP.
“This not acceptable,” he said.
Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop Patrick O’Regan said he supported calls for an increased intake of Afghan refugees. He also urged the government to grant permanent visas to Afghan citizens who had already sought refuge in Australia.
Catholic agencies in SA are ready to assist with resettlement of refugees.
Welcome to the state’s newest arrivals
– Rebecca Digirolamo
After 14 days of Covid quarantine in Adelaide, 89 Afghans and Australians evacuated from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan are returning to life at home or starting a new one in South Australia.
The new arrivals, including families, were the first to land in Adelaide on August 25 – ten days after the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Some were cleared to leave their medi-hotel, the Grand Chancellor on Hindley Street, on Wednesday after final test results.
Afghan United Association of SA president Hussain Razaiat said the group consisted of Australian citizens and permanent residents – many visiting family in Afghanistan when the Taliban took control – as well as Afghan citizens who assisted the Australian Defence Force and embassy and at-risk Afghans granted emergency visas.
Mr Razaiat, a member of the SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, said those on temporary visas would be settled here and interstate while their visas were processed.
He said their greatest concern upon existing the medi-hotel would be connecting with family hastily left in Afghanistan.
“They are very worried because the Taliban has announced a hard-line government ministry and there are growing concerns it will be very difficult for those who remain, especially minority groups,” Mr Razaiat said.
He said they needed to feel connected to the South Australian community “so they don’t feel alone”.
“We should welcome them and remain sympathetic to them because they have had a really difficult time,” he said. “They have been totally shocked by the sudden takeover and are anxious about family left behind.”
Welcoming Australia and the Afghan Cultural Association of SA have been working together to source hijabs, long-sleeved clothing, sahar khiz green tea and traditional sweets to donate to new arrivals. AFL footballs and local produce are also among the culturally appropriate welcome packs being distributed.
“It’s these small touches that will go a long way to making our new arrivals feel welcome and build a bridge between what they have left and where they have come,” said Kate Leaney, campaign and communications manager for Welcoming Australia.
Ms Leaney said South Australians needed to continue their hospitality: “This can’t be the end of our support.”
The first rescue flight of 89 people was one of four that landed in Adelaide, evacuating more than 400 people. The last arrivals are expected to complete their mandatory quarantine for overseas travellers by the end of September.
To support new Afghan arrivals as they settle in Australia visit www.welcoming.org.au
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