Visa rush for Afghan allies amid Taliban fear

The government says it is working ‘urgently’ to process ­humanitarian visas for staff who worked for Australia in Afghanistan, amid fears they will be killed by the Taliban.

Australian National University emeritus professor William Maley.

The federal government says it is working “urgently” to process ­humanitarian visas for interpreters and local-employed staff who worked for Australia in Afghanistan, amid fears they will be killed by the Taliban.

The closure of Australia’s embassy in Kabul on Friday has forced Home Affairs to accelerate efforts to evacuate Australia’s ­Afghan employees and their families, many of whom fear reprisal ­attacks for working with “the enemy” if they stay in the country.

“The Department of Home Affairs is urgently processing the on-hand Afghan LEE (locally engaged employees) caseload and working with the Department of Defence on travel options,” the ­department said.

About 45 interpreters who worked for the ADF and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are yet to be cleared for relocation to Australia with their immediate family members.

Another 12 locally engaged ­embassy employees are believed to have applied for humanitarian visas with their loved ones.

Both the ADF and DFAT have said they are “committed to the safety of all personnel working for the Australian government in ­Afghanistan”, although it appears dozens of Afghan security contractors who guarded the embassy will not be eligible for relocation.

Afghan staff are being processed under a special LEE human­itarian visa program set up in 2012 that has allowed some 1200 Afghans to resettle in Australia. The move to evacuate local ­employees has been welcomed, ­including by Australian diplomats who are understood to have raised concerns at the prospect of leaving Afghan staff behind.

Others warn that many more Afghans with embassy affiliations, including those who have won study scholarships to Australia, ­informants and those who have prominently participated in embassy events, will be left behind and at risk.

“There is a whole category of people who have been active participants in embassy events, and who have been promoted through social media which we know is monitored by the Taliban,” Australian National University emeritus professor William Maley, a leading Afghanistan scholar, said.

“With all the recent attacks on civil society activists, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if past social media embassy posts have become a source of information which terrorists are drawing on to knock out future opposition.

“It’s very important as Australia reconfigures its physical presence in Afghanistan to remember Saigon in 1975 and avoid that.”

All applicants under the government’s LEE program must prove they are “at significant risk of harm as a result of their employment or support to Australia’s mission”. “Visa applications from certified LEE are afforded the highest processing priority within the Humanitarian Program but applicants must still meet rigorous health, character and national ­security requirements,” the ­Department of Home Affairs said.

Scott Morrison announced this week that Australia would temporarily close its Kabul embassy after a 20-year presence and revert to fly in, fly out diplomacy because of the uncertain security situation as foreign troops leave.

The departure of the remaining US, NATO and Australian forces from Afghanistan by September 11 meant “security arrangements could not be provided to support our ongoing diplomatic presence”, the Prime Minister said.

The Weekend Australian understands the decision to pull out was made despite the US government being poised to take over large parts of the NATO compound in Kabul to accommodate embassies seeking more security.

Australia was one of several embassies in talks with the US about shifting under its security umbrella. In security briefings this week, Afghan and NATO officials told foreign embassies that NATO forces would provide security at Kabul International Airport, and a 9km radius “blue zone” would be set up around the diplomatic green zone.