Scott Morrison flags Afghan refugee places will be expanded

The Prime Minister stressed the initial 3000 places for Afghans was a ‘floor, not a ceiling’.

Scott Morrison in Canberra on Thursday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison has flagged that Australia’s intake of Afghans fleeing their home country could be boosted, as the federal government faces calls from human rights groups to expand its ­humanitarian program.

The Morrison government this week confirmed it would reserve an initial 3000 places for ­Afghan nationals in Australia’s existing annual humanitarian visa program. The places represent about 20 per cent of the total 13,750 positions.

But Mr Morrison on Thursday stressed the 3000 places was a “floor, not a ceiling”.

“If the overall program has to be expanded, it will be,” he said.

The Morrison government is facing comparisons to the Abbott government’s policies in 2015 when it offered an additional 12,000 refugee places to Syrian and Iraq nationals displaced during the Syrian civil war.

Asked about Australia’s humanitarian intake for Afghans, Josh Frydenberg drew on the experiences of his Hungarian-born mother Erika who arrived in Australia as a child after fleeing the Holocaust.

“My own experience is that this country provided a safe haven, a warm embrace to my own family. And my stories is not unique,” the Treasurer said.

“I think every decent, fair-minded Australian wants us to do all we can to help those people in Afghanistan get a better life.”

He said one of Australia’s strengths was “what we have done to help people in need”.

The Treasurer said recent discussions at cabinet’s national security committee about the Afghanistan crisis had prompted him to reflect on the humanitarian disaster his mother fled.

“My mind did flash back to terrible times in the world, including during the Second World War,” he said.

He said Australia was “making a difference on the ground” in Afghanistan. The government on Thursday confirmed a British aircraft had evacuated an additional 76 Australians and Afghan nationals from Kabul as part of the rescue operations.

Additionally, 40 Australian Defence Force personnel have been deployed into Kabul to aid the missions. The group of Australians and Afghans were due to depart Dubai for Perth on Thursday evening.

Mr Frydenberg said it was a “dangerous” and “diabolically difficult” situation in Afghanistan.

But he acknowledged that Australians were saddened by “what is now left in Afghanistan.”

“Obviously the reprise of the Taliban changes the situation,” he said.

Since the Coalition was elected in 2013, 8500 Afghans have been resettled in Australia through the nation’s humanitarian program.