Australia urged to simplify humanitarian visa process for Afghans

KABUL (Pajhwok): Human Rights Watch (HRW) Australia Director Daniela Gavshon has called for reducing administrative barriers in processing humanitarian visas for Afghans, according to a media report on Friday.

She said if rescue of the most vulnerable is the goal, refugee resettlement programs need the agility to innovate and adapt. The more difficult the circumstances, the greater the need for flexibility.

According to the report the Australia Home Affairs officials hold up applications because of problems verifying biometric and other data in Afghanistan, the Law Council of Australia has said Afghan applicants are reportedly being refused because of Australia’s inadequate capacity to process them despite “meeting all other criteria for a Humanitarian visa.”

Gavshon stressed time and time again when the Australian government has the will, it can find solutions and act quickly.

With Afghanistan’s human rights and humanitarian crisis worsening, the government needs to cut the red tape and prioritize processing humanitarian visas for people desperate to flee.

It also should be ready to increase the overall allocation of humanitarian visas for Afghan nationals. Only then will helping the most vulnerable be possible.