A recent policy review by UNSW’s Kaldor Center for International Refugee Law has called for the Australian government to implement a new emergency visa to better deal with humanitarian crises.
The proposed visa aims to streamline this process, allowing at-risk individuals to enter Australia quickly and safely. Valid for at least 12 months, this visa can lead to permanent residency if returning home is unsafe or impossible, VisaGuide.World reports.
New Australian’s Emergency Visa to Simplify Access & Benefits for Refugees
However, the current system, which includes at least 25 different types of visas, creates confusion and delays. The new emergency visa will also provide access to essential services, including Medicare and Centrelink, and give work and study rights.
For those already in Australia from affected countries, the policy suggests automatically extending their visas or securing bridging visas with similar benefits if their current visas are close to expiring.
According to the report, a Framework for Australia highlights that Australia’s current approach to the crises in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza has been inconsistent and ineffective. While some individuals escaping these crises have reached Australia relatively quickly, others face significant obstacles.
On the other hand, for other conflicts such as Gaza and Sudan, limited visitor visas were previously issued by the government, followed by bridging visas that allow work and study rights and access to Medicare and Centrelink. At the same time, immediate family members holding the same visa subclasses will also benefit from this extended support.
Australia has extremely well-established, long-standing and rigorous systems in place to check identity and security … but clearly, there are political elements at play otherwise, we wouldn’t have seen such diverse responses to the four conflicts.
The report further notes that Ukrainian asylum-seekers have had access to a temporary visa (Subclass 786), which provides some work rights and Medicare access but no path to permanent protection.
Recently, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for a halt on the intake of Palestinians fleeing Gaza until stricter security vetting processes are in place to prevent potential security risks. Department of Home Affairs data reveals that 7,100 Palestinian visa applications were rejected, while 1,300 out of 2,922 approved visas have been used for arrivals in Australia. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to over 40,000 Palestinian deaths due to Israel’s military actions since October 7, following a Hamas attack.